NSF Skips SBE Funding Opportunity, Limits GRFP Eligibility

Over the summer the National Science Foundation (NSF) took several actions that appear to further the Administration’s plans to shut down the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE). As COSSA has been reporting, the President’s budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2027 included a proposal to dismantle the SBE directorate and spread any remaining SBE activities across other directorates. While the proposal is intended for implementation next fiscal year, which starts October 1, 2026, the research community has been raising concerns that actions are already being taken to downsize SBE this year.

Two recent actions provide further evidence of the Administration’s intentions. First, on August 17, NSF released 12 “foundational research” funding opportunities. The NOFOs provide basic science research opportunities across NSF’s directorates with the exception of SBE (and the STEM Education Directorate). In other words, there currently are no active SBE funding opportunities for “foundational research.”

Second, on August 25, NSF released its latest solicitation for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Unlike previous GFRP solicitations, the 2026 call excludes SBE from the list of participating NSF directorates. In addition, this year’s solicitation removes the following subfields from eligibility: Communications, Cultural Anthropology, International Relations, Law and Social Science, Political Science, Public Policy, Science Policy, Social Science Education, and STEM Education and Learning (in the STEM Education Directorate).

Now is the time to contact your members of Congress alerting them to NSF’s efforts and the need for Congressional oversight. Visit COSSA’s Action Center to take action today.