Grant Witness

@grantwitness.org

We track data on federal funding to defend American science and the rule of law.

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@dangaristo.bsky.socialReposted by @grantwitness.org

How did this happen? Officially, proposals went through the same process as before: peer review, program officer recommendation, section head approval. Unofficially, the choice was taken out of SBE's hands, going above the directorate head, Christina Freyman and to NSF leadership.

In the past, panels of independent scientists vetted proposals; program officers recommended those found worthy, and section heads approved them. But a new, unofficial process has removed decision-making power from all directorate staff and leadership. Only a few proposals in administration priority areas, such as cognitive science and AI, were allowed to move ahead, according to the former staffers. Program officers sent them to Freyman, who met with Simon Malcomber, NSF’s chief science officer. “Then he would come back with some decision,” a former staffer explains. “So it wasn’t his decision-making. He was in consult with others.” If Malcomber said a proposal was acceptable, a program officer was given the green light to officially recommend it. “They were very, very careful in terms of never putting anything in writing about what the process was,” the former staffer says. NSF did not respond to questions about the process.
@dangaristo.bsky.socialReposted by @grantwitness.org

In addition to spending less money and making fewer new grants, SBE also dramatically narrowed where it made those new grants. Areas such as economics, sociology, and archaeology received few to no grants.

Grantmaking gutted The National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) awarded far fewer new awards than typical in fiscal year 2026—just 91. (The fiscal year runs from 1 October to 30 September.) Most of the new grants focused on cognitive science and artificial intelligence, in alignment with White House priorities; offices that support fields such as economics, sociology, and research ethics, as well as postdoctoral fellowships, awarded no grants at all.
@dangaristo.bsky.socialReposted by @grantwitness.org

But no part was hit as hard as SBE, which went from an average of 800 new grants to just 91, a precipitous, 90% decline. SBE spent just 95 million on new grants, far less than its average of 247 million.

Chart of SBE new grants by FY shows a massive decline in FY26Chart of obligations by SBE shows a 62% decline in FY26
@dangaristo.bsky.socialReposted by @grantwitness.org

Agency-wide, NSF made far fewer new grants (~6,200, down from an average of ~11,000) and underspent its buget by 1.4 billion. See previous coverage:

@dangaristo.bsky.socialReposted by @grantwitness.org

NEW: In March the White House released an FY27 budget request that zeroed out the National Science Foundation's directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). For months it was unclear what would happen. Now, with FY26 over, the damage to SBE is coming to light. My reporting:

@grantwitness.orgReposted by @grantwitness.org

NOAA studies and monitors our coasts, the deep sea, weather, climate and even outer space. It has endured staff firings, suppression of scientific reports, budget cuts and grant terminations. This week we're adding it to Grant Witness's tracking. grantwitness.org/noaa/updates... 🧪

@drdebhoury.bsky.socialReposted by @grantwitness.org

Really helpful website with information by sector and state on funding for programs that has been cut or frozen: Clawson, J., Kaczmarek, U., Ross, N., et al (2026). Lost Funds: A States United and Grant Witness Project Tracking Funding Disruptions under the Trump Administration lostfunds.org

@grantwitness.orgReposted by @grantwitness.org

We're proud to partner with @statesunited.org on the new Lost Funds project, comprehensive tracker of how the administration has usurped Congress's power of the purse and harmed local governments, businesses, nonprofits, tribes, schools, universities and communities across America.

@statesunited.orgReposted by @grantwitness.org

💰🚨 NEW: Since January 2025, the Trump administration has disrupted $177 billion across 17 funding sectors in all 50 states and DC.

Our new project with @grantwitness.org tracks every dollar, grant by grant, and shows the impact of disruptions đź”— www.lostfunds.org

@markhisted.orgReposted by @grantwitness.org

“The arrangement would give Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, a direct role in determining how NIH distributes its $48 billion in congressionally-appropriated money.” Bypassing the many checks and balances at NIH on grant funding decisions.

@statesunited.orgReposted by @grantwitness.org

🚨 Funding disruptions are harming farmers, doctors, children, teachers, police officers, disaster relief workers, and millions of other Americans across all 50 states trying to make ends meet. This is NOT business as usual.

www.lostfunds.org

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