NSF downsizes summer research program for undergraduates

From ScienceMag:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is shrinking its support of a long-running program that offers summer research opportunities to thousands of college students—many from groups historically underrepresented in science.

Within the past few weeks, several universities have had to cancel plans to host these students this summer after getting word they won’t be funded through NSF’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. The reasons are not clear, and NSF is not commenting. But it appears to be a combination of belt tightening while NSF awaits word on its final budget for this fiscal year and concern that the program may clash with the new administration’s ban on activities that promote diversity.

Begun in 1987 and with sites at hundreds of research-intensive U.S. campuses, the $80-million-a-year REU program caters to students whose home institutions can’t provide opportunities to do the original research needed to launch their careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Potential host institutions apply to NSF for 3 years of funding to support a summer cohort of eight to 10 students from other colleges and universities; prospective students then apply directly to the sites. Many REU programs have been running for decades, and some universities offer programs in different fields thanks to multiple awards.

With renewal rates of 80% or higher, many sites with expiring grants had already begun accepting applications in the expectation the proposal they submitted in August 2024 would be funded for another 3 years. But 2 weeks ago, many of those REU sites began to post notices saying this summer’s program has been canceled because of a lack of funding from NSF.

“It’s a gut punch for the field,” says astronomer Ralf Kotulla, who runs an REU at the University of Wisconsin–Madison up for renewal and also coordinates an informal network of 80 physics and astronomy REU sites around the country. He predicts the list of cancellations will grow significantly in the weeks to come because of the continuing congressional impasse over setting final spending levels across the federal government for the current fiscal year, which runs through 30 September.

Brian Utter, a teaching professor of physics at the University of California (UC), Merced, is part of that affected cohort. Utter says he got an “encouraging message” about the status of the physics REU site he runs only a few weeks before a 13 February email from two NSF program officers dashed his plans.

“Although we [had earlier] sent many of you emails expressing our plans to recommend for funding, circumstances have changed,” it read, referring to the pool of hundreds of applications reviewed last fall in response to NSF’s most recent annual request for REU proposals. “We deeply regret that we are not going to be able to hold to all of those plans.”

“Everybody was surprised at how quickly the landscape had changed,” Utter says about the unwelcome NSF email, which was followed a few days later by an official declination of his grant application. REU sites with funding in hand for 2025 and 2026 appear not to be affected by the cutbacks.

As soon as UC Merced officials got the word, they posted a notice online citing the country’s new president as the underlying cause. “Due to the uncertainty stemming from a lack of support for science funding by the Trump Administration, the NSF is unable to proceed with the initial funding recommendation anticipated to support the REU program,” it read. “Therefore, the UC Merced Physics REU will not take place in summer 2025.”

Utter speculates that fiscal constraints aren’t the only reason NSF has pulled back on its support for the REU program. “I think NSF was worried about not having enough money, for sure,” Utter says. “But attracting more students into STEM careers from groups underrepresented in science is also a big part of what the REU program is trying to do. And that would have made it a target” for President Donald Trump’s executive order last month banning government funding of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Some REU directors affected by NSF’s pullback say they assumed reviewers had found flaws in their proposal that led NSF to end its support for their site. But others are willing to accept the budget stalemate in Congress as the proximate cause. “We regret to inform you that the BioREU program has been cancelled for summer 2025 due to budgetary uncertainties at various federal funding agencies,” reads an email from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) about its program for biology students.

For students whose home institutions aren’t major research universities, a summer REU may be the only way to get the research experience needed to be admitted to a high-quality graduate program. The JHU post also highlights the importance of the REU program as a recruiting tool for universities. “We hope you will consider reapplying, and we certainly hope you will keep JHU in mind as you consider graduate school.”

REU programs that haven’t yet been canceled face a ticking clock as they wait on Congress to pass a final spending bill and avoid a governmentwide shutdown on 14 March, when the current temporary spending bill expires. But even if that happens—and NSF escapes significant budget cuts and decides to sustain REU funding at current levels—Kotulla worries congressional action may come too late for many REU programs.

“The physics and astronomy sites agreed to set a deadline of 3 March for notifying students who have been accepted,” he says. “And with 450 applications for our program, I can’t wait until NSF makes up its mind to go through all of them and choose 10 to admit.

“It’s also not fair to keep students in the dark about whether they will have a paying job this summer,” he adds, noting the REU grant comes with a $7000 stipend as well as room and board. “So, unless they hear in the next week or so, a lot more sites are going to have to cancel for this summer.”

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