The Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF), of which AIBS is a member, has sent a letter urging the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to promptly hold a confirmation hearing for James O’Neill, the President’s nominee for Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), emphasizing the urgency of stable, accountable leadership for the agency and the nation’s scientific enterprise.
“Although Mr. O’Neill was previously confirmed by this Committee for a position at Health and Human Services, the NSF Director position is fundamentally different, thereby requiring a hearing,” the letter reads. “For more than a year, NSF has been led on an acting basis by its Chief of Staff—a dedicated public servant who has ably led the agency, but without the statutory authority, the mandate, or the full institutional standing that a Senate-confirmed Director carries. During this period of leadership uncertainty, NSF has faced significant disruptions, the departure of more than 30 percent of its staff, the relocation of its headquarters, and the troubling recent dismissal of all members of the National Science Board. The agency and America’s scientific enterprise urgently need Congressional support and a confirmed and accountable leader. The questions surrounding NSF’s direction—its funding priorities and its commitment to supporting the full breadth of fundamental research—deserve genuine examination by Congress. A confirmation hearing is precisely the venue for these questions.”
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