On September 24, the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF), for which FABBS Executive Director Juliane Baron serves as a co-chair, held its 2026 Advocacy Day and Science Showcase to make the case for continued federal investment in the National Science Foundation (NSF), including for its Social, Behavioral, and Economic (SBE) Sciences Directorate. Nearly 200 researchers, advocates, and educators gathered on Capitol Hill to share their work with visitors over ice cream and explain how NSF funding supports scientific innovation and societal impact. The showcase gave researchers an opportunity to directly communicate with congressional staff and members of the public about why federal funding is critical for their work.
The showcase celebrated science and scientists in an informal and lighthearted setting, during a time when the community has faced much upheaval and uncertainty. Scientists offered accessible and interactive demonstrations of their work. FABBS invited researchers supported by SBE, which the Trump Administration is trying to eliminate.
Cristine Legare, PhD, Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, showcased Learning to Innovate: Development and Diversity, an SBE-supported project examining how people develop the ability to innovate across different cultural and educational environments. She emphasized that NSF support also creates training opportunities for students and early-career researchers who will make up the next generation of scientists. Legare underscored the range of questions that future research will need to address, from improving educational technologies, strengthening economies, and understanding the opportunities and risks related to artificial intelligence.
David Johnson, PhD, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering and Political Science at Purdue University, presented Risk-Based Methods for Robust, Adaptive, and Equitable Flood Risk Management in a Changing Climate, a research project focused on helping decision-makers manage flood risk. His work creates tools to better understand future flood hazards and identify adaptive and equitable strategies under uncertain, consequential conditions. Joining him was Katie Freer-Leonards, Assistant Administrator for Strategic Planning at the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, who discussed how research like Johnson’s informs real-world coastal planning. She helps translate scientific evidence and risk information into long-term planning about protecting and restoring Louisiana’s coast. Johnson and Freer-Leonards’ collaboration demonstrates how federally funded science benefits the public and can help mitigate the harms of ongoing challenges such as climate change.
The thread between federal investment and real-world challenges appeared throughout the showcase. Across interviews, researchers described NSF funding as enabling their foundational research, facilitating collaboration across disciplines, and allowing exploratory research to be conducted as well. Participants also connected those investments to the future of the U.S. scientific workforce and the nation’s capacity for innovation. They emphasized that scientific leadership depends on continued investment in researchers, institutions, and infrastructure. CNSF similarly identifies sustained federal funding in NSF research and education as a cornerstone to developing scientific knowledge and a trained workforce.
The showcase comes as Congress considers funding for NSF in Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27). CNSF is urging Congress to provide at least $9.9 billion for NSF in FY27, support the agency’s pressing initiatives, and protect its investment across all scientific disciplines.
