NSF Lands $8.75B as Congress Rejects Trump's Proposed 57% Slash
March 2, 2026 · 2 min read
Claire Cummings
The National Science Foundation will operate on an $8.75 billion budget through September 2026, after Congress rejected the Trump administration's proposal to slash the agency by 57% and signed the funding into law on January 23.
The president's FY2026 budget request would have cut NSF to just $3.9 billion — a level not seen since the early 2000s. Instead, the final appropriations package provides more than double that request, though the $8.75 billion still represents a 3.4% decrease from FY2025 enacted levels.
What $8.75 Billion Buys
The allocation includes $7.18 billion for Research and Related Activities, NSF's core grant-making account that funds investigator-initiated proposals across every field of science and engineering. That level supports nearly 10,000 new awards and more than 250,000 scientists, technicians, teachers, and students.
STEM Education receives $938 million — a 20% decrease from prior years but still triple the $288 million the administration requested. The Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships directorate, NSF's newest division focused on translating research into commercial applications, continues operations under the broader allocation.
NSF was not alone in surviving deep proposed cuts. The DOE Office of Science landed $8.4 billion (a 2% increase), NASA Science received $7.25 billion, and ARPA-E held at $350 million — each avoiding reductions of 14% to 57% that the White House had proposed.
What Researchers Should Watch
The 3.4% cut to NSF's topline means grant success rates will tighten modestly. Researchers should expect incremental pressure on award sizes and durations rather than dramatic program shutdowns. The Tech Labs initiative, which plans large multi-year awards to independent research organizations, remains active and could channel significant FY2026 dollars toward applied science.
Principal investigators preparing NSF proposals should monitor program solicitations closely through spring, as directorate-level budgets may shift within the topline. For teams managing proposals across multiple federal agencies, Granted tracks deadlines and funding signals across NSF, DOE, NIH, and other sources.