ASA Connect

Of immediate concern are efforts by the National Science Foundation (NSF), with urging from the White House, to dismantle the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE). Hopefully you have been following COSSA's coverage and responding to our calls to action.

I am writing today to urge your immediate and persistent action in support of SBE.

In recent days we have witnessed tangible efforts by NSF to sideline--if not eliminate altogether--programs that support the social sciences:

• On August 17, NSF released 12 "foundational research" funding opportunities. The NOFOs span NSF's directorates with the exception of SBE. There are no active SBE funding opportunities for "foundational research."

• On August 25, NSF released its latest solicitation for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program. 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 fields from eligibility: Communications, Cultural Anthropology, International Relations, Law and Social Science, Political Science, Public Policy, Science Policy, and Social Science Education.

These actions, among others, clearly show that SBE is being erased before our eyes.

We need everyone who cares about the social sciences to contact their Members of Congress, alerting them to NSF's efforts and the need for Congressional oversight. Below is an action alert we shared earlier this month. Please take a few minutes to respond using the link below, then share this message with 5 friends. The fate of SBE rests in our collective hands--let's show Congress just how important our sciences are!

As COSSA has been reporting, the Trump Administration has proposed eliminating the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate in FY 2027. Advocates have been working tirelessly over the last several months to demonstrate to Congress the importance of SBE and the critical contributions made by social and behavioral science research. In fact, nearly 3,000 letters have been sent to Congress in response to COSSA's Action Alert issued earlier this spring, urging lawmakers to save SBE.

Our work is not done. Too many Members of Congress remain unaware of this issue and need to be contacted immediately. Therefore, even if you have already sent a letter to your representatives in Congress, we ask that you promptly follow up with the new message. 

It is especially important that Congress hear from the research community NOW. Why? Before leaving Washington for their August recess, the House and Senate began consideration of a continuing resolution (CR) that would push their deadline for passing the annual appropriations bills into December (FY 2027 officially begins October 1). The annual NSF appropriations bill is a vehicle advocates have been pursuing to save SBE. However, it is likely that the deadline to complete work on that bill will be delayed, increasing concerns that NSF will act to dismantle SBE without Congressional authorization. NSF needs to hear from Congress NOW!

The new letter calls on your Members of Congress to contact NSF immediately and urge them to abandon plans to dismantle the SBE directorate. Feel free to personalize our template message.

Want to do more? Members of Congress are back in their home states for the month of August. This is a great time to engage with them locally, by attending a town hall meeting or scheduling a local in-person meeting. Use COSSA's At-Home Advocacy Guide for tips on how you can take additional steps to save SBE while your elected officials are home for the summer.

#WhySocialScience #SaveSBE

When you're done, share this alert with others and spread the word on social media using #WhySocialScience #SaveSBE

Thank you for taking action to protect social and behavioral science research!