On December 2 the Coalition for National Science Funding sent a letter to the Biden Transition Team highlighting National Science Foundation (NSF)–related policy and personnel recommendations (PDF, 197KB) to address the incoming administration’s scientific priorities. APA is a member of the coalition, which comprises more than 130 organizations committed to supporting NSF.
In the letter, the coalition made several key policy recommendations, including that the Biden Administration support robust and sustainable federal funding for scientific research, and propose a bold budget for NSF in fiscal year 2022, especially given the NSF budget has received only modest increases in recent years. The coalition commended NSF for its nimble response and contributions toward combating the pandemic and recommended the new administration champion additional COVID-related research relief funding for the federal agencies, including NSF, as soon as possible. In addition, the coalition called on the new administration to ensure NSF has a robust role in the climate change agenda, and to support NSF’s ongoing efforts to promote STEM education and increase the number of women and traditionally underrepresented groups in the STEM workforce.
Finally, the group also encouraged President-elect Biden to make several important personnel decisions: to appoint a science advisor who could subsequently be nominated as the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and to nominate an individual for the long-vacant position of NSF deputy director.