On Friday, April 3, 2026, it was reported that interim leadership at the National Science Foundation announced during an internal all-staff meeting that they would preemptively start making moves to dissolve the SBE Directorate in alignment with language included in the recent budget request.
This meeting coincided with the day that the Trump Administration released the President’s budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2027. The President’s budget request is a routine part of the Appropriations process, which typically consists of largely symbolic requests the President uses to signal priorities in the coming fiscal year. In the FY 2027 budget request, NSF was proposed to suffer a 54 percent cut for NSF. Furthermore, it also calls for the SBE Directorate to be dissolved and have its funding zeroed out in the next fiscal year.
The dissolution of the SBE Directorate would cause catastrophic harm to political science researchers and students, as well as our peers in other social science disciplines. Within the federal government, NSF’s SBE Directorate funds 63 percent of all academic research in the social sciences and psychological sciences in the United States, and serves as the primary source of basic research funding for political science. The two programs at NSF that primarily fund political science research, the Accountable Institutions and Behavior (AIB) Program and the Security and Preparedness (SAP) Program are housed within the SBE Directorate.
APSA is working with partner organizations to identify strategies to advocate against the dissolution and defunding of SBE. Members of APSA who are willing and able to help advocate for social science funding at NSF may participate in any of the menu of options listed below.
APSA Advocacy Read the APSA Statement on the Proposed Dissolution of SBE APSA issued a statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to zero out and dissolve the SBE Directorate within NSF.
Calls to Action – Town Hall by the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) APSA members are encouraged to attend a Town Hall by the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA). During this meeting, topics on how to protect social and behavioral science programs and communities from the President’s budget request will be discussed. Strategies on how to advocate to your members of congress, spread information, and the sharing of ideas will also be discussed. – COSSA Updates and APSA’s Advocacy Newsletter Stay informed through COSSA’s Washington Update and APSA’s Advocacy Newsletter. At a time of rapid change, COSSA and APSA provide up to date news on Congressional actions affecting Political and Social Sciences, grant/funding opportunities, and agency updates. – Write to Your Members of Congress to Support Funding Political Scientists are urged to write to their Members of Congress to support funding in FY 2027 appropriations! Without widespread advocacy, federal science and statistical agencies are facing further budget cuts, grant delays, and mass layoffs. Find this useful toolkit here in COSSA’s Action Alert which provides a template with language, information on your member of Congress, and resources to stay informed.
Resources – COSSA Advocacy Guide APSA members interested in maximizing their advocacy are encouraged to consult COSSA’s Advocacy Guide. Outlined are communication strategies, resource guides, and policy making basics. Information on relevant government committees, guides on finding committee action and legislation and government acronyms and abbreviations are included in the guide. – APSA’s Media Guide Ready to use your voice? Learn the basics of formatting, pitching and drafting op-eds, blogs and articles on APSA’s Media Guide. Included in the guide are resources for starting out with building relationships with larger audiences through publishing and sharing your perspective. included in the guide are resources for submitting your work for publication. – Utilize COSSA’s Resources for Social Science Professors, students, and academics are encouraged use to COSSA’s Social Science resources including their State fact sheets and institution rankings page. Whether keeping track of funding opportunities or researching institution rankings, this resource is essential for staying informed. Provided are clear, concise, and easy to use charts, graphs, and illustrations with valuable data.
Contact APSA Have you been funded by an NSF grant? Do you want to take action to protect political science research at NSF? Contact the American Political Science Association (APSA) to share your experience and learn more about possible options to be an advocate for yourself and for the discipline of political science. For inquiries or questions about participating in advocacy, please reach out to advocacy@apsanet.org.
