On 3 April, the Trump Administration released its Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) President’s Budget Request (PBR), which outlines the Administration’s proposed budget and priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. NASA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Energy (DOE) released the details of their budget requests for FY27 on their respective websites. We focus on these three agencies since they represent the vast majority of grant and external project funding for our community, though we are aware that the Smithsonian, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), the Department of Defense (DoD), and others are also critically important for the astronomical sciences.

In this blog post, we will break down the details of the FY27 PBR for NASA Science, NSF, and DOE Office of Science, and we will highlight significant details as they relate to programs within the astronomical sciences. This PBR is in many ways similar to the FY26 PBR that we detailed last year, though there are some key differences. As we do not have public FY25 or FY26 operating levels for most programs, the tables below compare the proposed budgets to the FY24 operating level. While these numbers are a good comparison point for long-standing programs, they are not always helpful comparisons for missions in development, as those missions are now likely to be in a very different development phase and require a different budget. We also note that the FY27 budget, in many cases, assumes that the FY26 President’s budget request has been implemented. (This is not necessarily unusual given how late Congress passed their FY26 appropriations bills.) This means that programs slated for cancellation in the FY26 budget would not be explicitly mentioned in the FY27 budget request (but would remain slated for cancellation). We have tried our best to point out such cases below.

Before we dive in, we want to underscore that the PBR is not law. It is an initial proposal for the FY27 budget. Congress holds the “power of the purse” and will ultimately decide how much federal funding is appropriated to these and other agencies. Last year, AAS members and the broader scientific community pushed back vigorously against the PBR, with the result that Congress decided to preserve our US science agencies in FY26. As a community, we must continue to engage in advocacy to help ensure that Congress rejects these cuts again for FY27 and provides robust federal support for science. We must also advocate for congressional oversight to ensure funds for our science agencies are spent as congressionally mandated in FY26.

We have set up an easy-to-use form to email and/or call your members of Congress here. Take a moment and urge your members of Congress to reject the sweeping cuts to our science agencies. Every voice counts. We also encourage you to participate in a Week of Action from 13 to 17 April, where you take one advocacy action each day of the week. Learn more here.

1. NASA
   1. Astrophysics
   2. Heliophysics
   3. Planetary Science
2. NSF
   1. Research and Related Activities
   2. Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction
3. DOE
   1. More Details from the Congressional Justification (Added 7 May 2026)
4. Other Agencies

NASA

Overall, the budget requests $18.8 billion for NASA, which is a 23% cut from FY26 enacted levels. This includes $3.8 billion for the Science Mission Directorate (SMD), representing a 47% cut from FY26. Within SMD, the PBR calls for a 65% cut to the Astrophysics Division, a 52% cut to the Heliophysics Division, and a 26% cut to the Planetary Science Division. For the reasoning behind these massive cuts, the PBR states that “the Budget terminates over 40 low-priority missions to transform the Science program into one that is more focused and fiscally responsible.”

Just like last year, the budget also recommends terminating the Office of STEM Engagement, stating that “NASA will inspire the next generation of explorers through exciting, ambitious space missions, not through subsidizing woke STEM programming and research that prioritizes some groups of students over others and has had minimal impact on the student outcomes.”

The budget request also adopts a policy prohibiting the use of federal funds to pay for journal subscriptions and the publication of research results unless required or pre-approved:

“In accordance with administration policy announced in the budget, NASA will follow new governmentwide grants guidance prohibiting the use of federal funds to pay for subscriptions to academic journals, as well as for the publication of research results that are not specifically required by federal statute or approved in advance by a federal agency. This policy preserves funds to support actual research by ensuring that the American taxpayer does not pay for the research, publication, and access to that research, essentially triple charging the public for the same product.”

Astrophysics

The budget request proposes a 65% cut to the Astrophysics Division, from the $1.595B appropriated by Congress in FY26 to $552M in FY27. Relative to the FY26 budget request, this year’s request partially restores funding to the Balloon Project, which will maintain baseline operations. The budget supports continued operations, but with reduced budgets, of the Hubble Space Telescope and JWST. It also notes that funding for the Habitable Worlds Observatory Technology Maturation Project is reduced in FY27 and the out-years “given higher priorities within the Astrophysics portfolio.” The budget request does not mention several missions that were slated for cancellation in the FY26 PBR. Since this budget request assumes that the FY26 PBR is in place, this would imply that the following missions are also slated for cancellation in FY27: the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, the Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite (ULTRASAT), the Galactic/Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory (GUSTO), and UltraViolet EXplorer (UVEX). There is no funding provided for US participation in Euclid. The budget request notes that the $2.4M requested for Physics of the Cosmos Supporting Research and Technology would support critical technology development efforts for missions such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), but the line item for LISA is removed. The Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) and the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) also have their line items removed, but they are mentioned in other places in the document. There is also no mention of the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), leaving its proposed status unclear.

NASA provides further details about major proposed changes, including:

Astrophysics Research

Astrophysics Research and Analysis (R&A) will issue solicitations for the Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) program in July of each year, with selections taking place by Q2 of the following fiscal year. A single combined program element will be offered for all mission-specific General Observer/General Investigator (GO/GI) opportunities (instead of seven individual GO/GI programs in previous years), including both US-led missions and international missions in which the United States is a partner. The Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) program will continue to support graduate student researchers. Astrophysics R&A will also support development of novel detectors and instruments to better enable science missions, as well as investigations for sounding rockets and other suborbital platforms. The Balloon Project “will maintain baseline operations and conduct a single annual launch campaign in Antarctica due to its exceptional return on investment.” At the funding level suggested for Science Activation, the program will “competitively select and implement a streamlined set of activities designed to deepen the public's active engagement in the advancement of scientific knowledge.”

Cosmic Origins

The budget request discusses implementing operational efficiencies to reduce the Hubble Space Telescope budget for FY27 (to $73 million) and onward, stating that “Examples of these efficiencies include consolidating ground system operations and streamlining support functions, while striving to preserve core scientific capabilities. Specific scenarios and implementation pathways are still under development and will be informed by technical feasibility, science return, and community impacts.” The document notes that “NASA remains committed to maximizing the scientific value of Hubble and to continue funding guest observer science grants.” The Cycle 35 call for proposals is planned for release in early 2027 and support for the Hubble Fellowship Program will continue.

Of the $140 million proposed for JWST, $20 million would be for Webb Science. This would be three times less than the $60 million allocated for Webb Science in FY24. JWST will complete its five-year prime mission phase and transition to extended operations in July 2027. On this transition, NASA notes that it “will evaluate options for more efficient operations post–prime mission, including scaling back observing modes and time, consolidating ground system operations, or streamlining support functions, while striving to preserve core scientific capabilities and minimize the impacts on the science community.” Additional funding (relative to the FY26 budget request) for Astrophysics Program Management will support Astrophysics mission requirements for high-end computing.

Physics of the Cosmos

The X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM) has been approved for extended operations following the 2025 Senior Review. The proposed FY27 budget will support operations. The request partially restores funding to the PhysCOS Supporting Research and Technology project, which will support technology development for future missions with dual use for science and defense.

Exoplanet Exploration

The proposed FY27 budget provides funding for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to maintain a launch as early as September 2026, while preserving a schedule margin to launch in May 2027 if necessary. In FY27, NASA plans to start the prime science mission roughly 90 days post-launch, implement General Investigator (GI) awards for the first year of the mission, and issue the call for proposals for the second year of the mission. Proposed funding for Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Technology Maturation is reduced in FY27 (to $5 million) and the out-years “given higher priorities within the Astrophysics portfolio.” For reference, Congress appropriated $150 million for HWO in FY26. No funding is provided for Exoplanet Exploration Science in FY27 (but the budget plans for funding to start in FY28), noting that “following the scheduled launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in 2027, this project will fund completed research and other related activities from Roman observations and data.”

Astrophysics Explorer

The budget request proposes $7.6M for SPHEREx in FY27. The document states that NASA plans to release an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for the next Small Explorer-class (SMEX) mission in 2027. This is likely an artifact of this budget request assuming that the FY26 budget request is in place. The document also plans for Pioneers investigation selections in 2027 and 2029. NASA approved extended mission operations for the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, and the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) following the 2025 Senior Review. Components for NASA’s Contribution to ARIEL Spectroscopy of Exoplanets (CASE) have been delivered to the European Space Agency, and no funding for the program is provided in FY27.

Heliophysics

The budget request proposes a 52% cut to the Heliophysics division, from an FY26 enacted level of $875M to $420M. This includes a significant cut to the Heliophysics Research program and updates to ROSES to reflect administration priorities and recommendations of the 2024 Decadal Survey. The budget request proposes a significant increase to the Space Weather program. Missions like the Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC), HelioSwarm, Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS), Hinode, Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics Mission (TIMED), Extreme Ultraviolet High-Throughput Spectroscopic Telescope (EUVST), Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON), Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD), Wind, and Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS), which were slated for cancellation in the FY26 budget request are not mentioned, indicating that they are once again slated for cancellation. Note that Congress provided $100M for GDC in FY26. The budget request does not mention the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), leaving its status unclear.

Heliophysics Research

The budget request outlines a timeline for ROSES solicitations (in Q4 of each fiscal year, e.g., ROSES-2026 will be solicited in Q4 of FY26) and selections (in Q2 of the following fiscal year). It notes that ROSES 2025, 2026, and 2027 selections will focus on “studies that advance fundamental understanding of the space environments of Earth, Moon, and Mars needed for enhanced technology operation and human exploration in these environments.” It also states that “NASA will review and revise the portfolio of research program elements for ROSES 2027 to reflect administration priorities and recommendations provided in the new decadal survey.” The proposed budget reduces funding in Heliophysics Directed Research and Technology to “account for lower than planned future workforce needs.” It also consolidates and reduces the Solar Data Center (SDAC), the Space Physics Data Archive (SPDA) and the Community Coordinated Modeling Center into program elements within Data and Modeling Services. The document states that NASA will continue to develop and refine AI and machine learning capabilities available to the Heliophysics community for data processing of mission science information. The budget request notes that NASA is finalizing the sounding rockets mission manifest for FY27 and that NASA will launch six CubeSats in FY27.

Living with a Star (LWS)

The document notes that “to achieve management efficiencies for directed spaceflight missions,” NASA moved IMAP and Carruthers from the Solar Terrestrial Probe (STP) program to the LWS program. The budget request consolidates the out-year extended mission operations budget in the LWS program and notes that the Heliophysics Senior Review will inform mission extensions through 2029, including for Solar Dynamics Observatory and Parker Solar Probe. NASA renamed LWS Science to Heliophysics for Societal Resilience, which includes funding to train the next generation of heliophysics experts.

Heliophysics Explorer Program

Following the final selections from the 2022 SMEX AO, the Cross-scale Investigation of Earth's Magnetotail and Aurora (CINEMA) mission will proceed to Phase B preliminary design and development and the Chromospheric Magnetism Explorer (CMEx) mission will enter the extended one-year concept development phase, both starting in Q2 of FY 2026. Multi-slit Solar Explorere (MUSE) is planned to complete KDP-D, final system integration and pre-ship review in FY27. ESCAPADE, PUNCH, and SunRISE will conduct prime science operations in FY27, while TRACERS will complete prime science operations in FY27 (noting “Given the challenges with establishing initial science operations, the prime mission duration and resource needs are being reassessed and are not reflected in this budget”). The budget does not support the continuation of EZIE beyond prime mission operations.

Space Weather

The budget request proposes an increase to Space Weather Future Missions “to support future space weather investigations and NASA participation in international space weather missions.” The document notes that the program will also “collaborate with agency partners on capacity building efforts for the research and end-user communities in space weather.” This includes solicitations for one or more Ideas Labs by the Space Weather R2O2R program and an Open Call to support the transition of scientific knowledge into the hands of space weather forecasters and other end users. The Heliophysics Environmental and Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite (HERMES), previously developed to be placed on the Lunar Gateway, will be available to fly on a to-be-determined commercial Mars mission. The SOHO mission will end following the launch and commissioning of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Follow On L-1 spacecraft.

Heliophysics Technology

NASA is planning to launch a dual sounding rocket mission (Resolute) in 2027, which will determine how heavy ions loft from Earth’s ionosphere to the boundary with the magnetosphere.

Planetary Science

The budget proposes a 26% cut to the Planetary Science Division, from the $2.541B appropriated by Congress in FY26 to a proposed $1.876B in FY27. This includes a significant reduction in the Planetary Science Research & Analysis budget. The budget request reiterates the cancellation of the Mars Sample Return mission. Missions that were slated for cancellation in the FY26 budget request, including DAVINCI, VERITAS, New Horizons, Juno, OSIRIS-APEX, Mars Odyssey, U.S. participation in Mars Express, and U.S. contributions to EnVision and the Rosalind Franklin ExoMars Rover are not mentioned here, indicating that they are once again slated for cancellation.

Planetary Science Research

The budget request includes the reduction of peer reviewed science in Planetary Science Research and Analysis “by 15% compared to the plan assumed in the FY 2026 Budget to support other high priority activities within Planetary Science.” It also proposes reducing funding in Planetary Science Directed Research and Technology to account for “lower than planned future workforce needs.” The program schedule indicates that ROSES-25 selections will be made in Q2 of FY26, and that future solicitations will be released in July of each year, with selections made by Q2 of the following fiscal year. The PICASSO and MatISSE technology development programs will be combined into one technology development solicitation. The future combined technology development solicitation, GRAM and ESM, will focus on technology developments for Mars, the Decadal-recommended Uranus Orbiter & Probe mission, New Frontiers, and Dragonfly. The Scientific Artificial Intelligence, Data & Analytics (SAIDA), and High End Computing Capability (HECC) portfolios will be managed as an integrated data and computing program for NASA science and engineering. Starting in FY27, HECC will implement direct charging to partially fund its resources and services. The budget proposes decreasing funding for the Planetary Data System, noting that this will impact the “on-ramping of new capabilities, such as reducing the rate at which NASA migrates planetary data to the cloud and limiting the availability of those data for the application of advance computing methods”

Planetary Defense

The budget request notes that “compared to what was assumed in the FY 2026 Budget, funding in FY 2027 is decreased for the NEO Surveyor mission due to cost savings and improved risk posture. NASA continues to maintain a launch readiness date no later than June 2028.” The Near-Earth Object Observations (NEOO) project is funded at $41M, consistent with previous years.

Lunar Discovery and Exploration

The budget request supports increased funding for scientific instruments on future Artemis missions, and continues to fund previously awarded Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation (DALI) selections. The VIPER rover is expected to launch at the end of FY27 as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Service. Payloads delivered for integration onto CLPS deliveries in FY27 will include the first Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) instrument suite (Lunar Vertex, Farside Seismic Suite, and LITMS), LuSEE Night, LuSEE-Lite, and LEIA. LDEP will release several major solicitations in FY 2027, including: Campaign Science instruments for delivery with CLPS, the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Science Team, the Second Artemis Participating Scientist Program (A4PSP), and award the next community-based Artemis Geology Team (A4GT).

Discovery

The budget request notes that the next Discovery AO will be no earlier than 2028. The request includes support for Psyche, Lucy, STROFIO, MEGANE, and other international mission contributions.

New Frontiers

The budget request increases funding for the Dragonfly mission consistent with the budget approved at mission confirmation. The mission is targeting a launch date in July 2028. In June 2027, NASA will hold a decisional meeting regarding the fueling of the Dragonfly Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) power source. The budget also includes $6.4M for analysis of data from New Frontiers missions. It does not include any FY27 funding for New Frontiers future missions. It notes that NASA will release Announcements of Opportunity “as the budget allows, currently in FY 2027.”

Mars Exploration

The budget request reduces funding for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, “as NASA reassesses objectives for the mission and given higher priorities for funding within the Planetary Science division.” It notes that the pace of operations will be reduced to continue surface science activities within available resources. NASA is assessing the status of the MAVEN mission following a December 2025 anomaly and loss of communication with the spacecraft. The budget continues support for other operating projects including the Mars Science Laboratory, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and Trace Gas Orbiter – ExoMars. It also provides funding for Mars Future Missions, and Research and Technology activities. A low-cost mission solicitation will be released in October 2026, targeting a 2030 launch, with a $220 million lifecycle cost (excluding launch).

Outer Planets and Ocean Worlds

The budget request provides funding for Europa Clipper, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), and Outer Planets Research, but provides no funding for the Uranus Orbiter and Probe, a priority of the most recent Planetary Science Decadal Survey.

Radioisotope Power

The budget request states that funding is increased for the radioisotope power program to ensure completion of the MMRTG and secure nuclear launch authorization for the Dragonfly mission. This includes funding to support DOE Plutonium-238 production. We note that despite the stated increase, the FY27 request is lower than the budget request for FY26. (We do not currently know FY26 operating levels.)

NSF

The PBR requests $4.0 billion for the NSF, which represents a 55% cut compared to FY26 enacted levels. This includes a 67% cut to the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Directorate, a 64% cut to the Education (EDU) Directorate, a 58% cut to the Geosciences (GEO) Directorate, and a 13% cut to the Office of Polar Programs (OPP). While not directly relevant to the astronomical sciences, the PBR also proposes terminating the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate.

*These are FY25 enacted levels. FY26 enacted levels are not yet available. (Updated April 9 at 4:00pm ET)

**These values do not include proposed mandatory spending requests. (See here for an explanation of mandatory vs. discretionary spending; mandatory spending is not determined through the annual appropriations process.)

While the NSF maintained a 19% funding rate across the agency in FY25 — granting 7,400 competitive awards from 38,700 proposals — the FY27 PBR threatens a dramatic shift. If enacted, the NSF predicts that the number of awards would be just 2,900, more than halving the funding rate to 8%. NSF also predicts that the number of people involved in NSF activities would plummet from 305,400 in FY25 to 94,100 in FY27, impacting researchers, educators, and students across a range of career stages, from senior personnel to PreK-12 teachers and students.

Similar to other agency budget requests, NSF also discusses alternatives to the traditional publications model:

“Publication Fee Alternative Exploration: This funding will support the development of alternative measures of researchers’ academic achievement that do not rely on counting the number of academic papers published or where they are published in, as well as explore new models of scientific communication beyond the published paper that could increase the frequency and effectiveness of research dissemination. The goal of this effort is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of research dissemination, and to highlight the importance of scientific work that does not often result in publication in high-visibility journals (e.g., data and code publication, null results).”

Research and Related Activities

The budget request proposes a 58% reduction to Research & Related Activities, from the $8.1B appropriated by Congress in FY26 to $3.4B. The budget request states:

“The R&RA Appropriation advances U.S. economic competitiveness and national security, invests in transformative early-stage discoveries, and complements private sector R&D where public investment can deliver the greatest value to the American people. Investments through R&RA also emphasize the development of a strategically prepared science and engineering workforce capable of sustaining long-term innovation in basic science and engineering research. These efforts focus on advancing capabilities across fields critical to U.S. leadership in science and technology, ensuring that the workforce can meaningfully enhance the Nation’s scientific and economic vitality.”

Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)

The budget request proposes reducing funding for the MPS Directorate by 67%, including a zeroing out of education programs (compared to FY25 operating levels of $35M), reducing research funding from $1.1B to $273M (a 75% cut) and reducing infrastructure funding by 40%, from $406M to $242M. There is no funding provided for the Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship (AAPF), or other postdoctoral programs across NSF, with the exception of the Entrepreneurial Fellowships. The budget request also states:

“In FY 2027, MPS will continue to align its funding with NSF and Administration priorities, highlighted but not limited to the following three areas:

• Strengthening investments under the theme of AI for Sciences and the Science of AI. MPS will support the National AI Institutes, the development of science-driven AI technologies, and investigate their theoretical underpinning in collaboration with other federal agencies and private foundations.
• Sustaining investments in Quantum Information Science and Technology through supporting the Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes, National Quantum Virtual Laboratory, research centers, and transdisciplinary research in quantum computing, quantum materials, quantum networking, quantum sensing, and quantum simulations. MPS will strategically invest in this research through collaborations with other federal agencies, industry, and private foundations.
• Continuing investments towards research on the chemical, mathematical, and physical foundations of biotechnology and their applications, in collaboration with other federal agencies, industry, and private foundations.”

Directorate for Geosciences (GEO)

The 58% proposed cut to this directorate includes a 65% cut to research, an 84% cut to education, and a 50% cut to infrastructure. The budget request states that “GEO will prioritize AI investments to advance the development and adoption of innovative methods to increase scientific understanding of the Earth Systems.” It also notes that GEO investments will “restore American dominance in critical minerals through research, new technology, and AI methods,” and underscores the importance of GEO for better predicting natural hazards, including solar storms.

Directorate for STEM Education (EDU)

The budget request proposes cutting EDU by 64%, including a 72% cut to research programs and a 60% cut to education programs. It states that the EDU Directorate will "continue to support the translation of research findings into practical STEM education applications through investments in STEM education R&D, which supports critical technologies that fuel economic growth and bolster national security" such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum information science (QIS), and biotechnology and nuclear sciences.

On AI, the request says:

"EDU supports fellowships, scholarships, research, and workforce development opportunities across all learning settings in two AI fields: 1) AI in Education, which uses AI to enhance teaching and learning, and 2) AI Education, which prepares the workforce for the AI-driven economy. EDU funds research and development of AI-enabled pedagogy and tools that support personalized learning, teacher effectiveness, and student engagement, as well as curriculum innovations and research experiences that integrate AI with domain knowledge in cybersecurity, energy, and manufacturing. EDU supports the April 2025 E.O. on Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth."

The request also includes $246.5M for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). This is less than the $285M that Congress appropriated for FY26. The document says in FY27, “NSF intends to continue funding new fellows and will engage industry stakeholders to seek co-funding from those who may benefit from having students perform sponsored research apprenticeships.” The budget request includes $15M for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs), which also represents a significant reduction from past funding levels. (In FY24, the program received $47M in funding.)

Office of Polar Programs

With a proposed 13% cut to OPP, the budget request would provide research, logistics, and infrastructure support for arctic and Antarctic programs, including “critical infrastructure investments to ensure a continued world-leading presence on the continent through the Antarctic Infrastructure Recapitalization (AIR) program.” For polar research, the request states that it will target activities that address national priorities in the polar regions.

Major Facilities

In 2025, the management and funding of major facilities was moved out of the directorates (such as MPS) and into a separate office that manages research facilities. However, the funding for these facilities still appears to fall under the "Infrastructure" line for each Directorate. The table below has a breakdown of the FY27 requested levels for major facilities (including federally funded research and development centers, FFRDCs) related to the astronomical sciences:

*O&M = Operations and Maintenance

The request provides details for certain projects:

The US Antarctic Program, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) are listed as among NSF’s highest priority infrastructure. The NSF will continue to operate all three stations (McMurdo, Amundsen-Scott South Pole, and Palmer) in support of the US Antarctic Program to support long-term research projects.

The budget request notes that a second tier of infrastructure “will be supported a substantially reduced level, which will enable continued delivery of significant scientific outcomes, albeit at a diminished rate.” This tier appears to include:

• Components of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) other than the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), which “will operate at reduced levels of service” at the FY27 budget level.
• The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO), with a note that “NSF will operate the two sites at reduced tempo and will support a reduced level for technology development.”
• The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST), which “will be operated at a reduced tempo.”
• The Gemini telescopes, which will “operate at approximately 50% capacity.”
• The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, whose “operations will continue with a reduction in staff deploying to Antarctica and minimal maintenance activities.”

The request further states “a final group of facilities will be funded at a level that enables only limited FY 2027 activity with the intent to continue toward disposition (closure or divestment) of the infrastructure." This includes:

• The telescopes at Kitt Peak and Cerro Tololo. Access to these telescopes will be phased out at the FY27 budget request level, and "NSF will begin transferring ownership and operations of these telescopes to other agencies or academic institutions."
• The Green Bank Observatory, in which case NSF will support "only basic services, such as minimal routine maintenance and continued provision of data to the research community. NSF intends to pursue decommissioning and disposition of these facilities to focus on higher priority investments as described above."

The FY27 request supports $7 million for design of the next generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), on par with the funding level in FY25.

Regarding the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the budget request states:

“NSF is exploring options to transfer stewardship of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputer Center to an appropriate operator; to divest of or transfer the two NSF aircraft that NCAR manages and operates; and to redefine the scope of modeling and forecasting research and operations to concentrate on critical national needs such as seasonal weather prediction, severe storms, and space weather. At the FY 2027 Budget level, support will be provided for these activities, although potentially to different organizations than currently.”

Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC)

*This total includes both discretionary and mandatory funding requests.

** The $900 million ARV project is being requested as mandatory spending (note that mandatory spending is not determined through the annual appropriations process).

Within MREFC, the PBR requests $173 million of discretionary funding, representing a 31% decrease compared to FY26 enacted level of $251 million. However, the request also asks to use $900 million of mandatory funding for the initiation of the Antarctic Research Vessel (ARV). The budget request states that the ARV will provide a “safe, reliable and modern platform to support year-round oceanography, geology and geophysics, biology, and atmospheric research in ice-affected waters for the next 30-40 years.” The two largest projects of the MREFC account would be the ARV and the Leadership-Class Computing Facility (LCCF), a proposed facility to be led by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at the University of Texas at Austin that would provide unique computational capabilities for AI.

The discretionary request includes $60 million for Antarctic Infrastructure Recapitalization (AIR). The AIR program in FY27 would support a wide range of facilities and infrastructure around Antarctica, including the South Pole Satellite Telecommunications Transformation, a project that installs infrastructure to utilize commercially available low Earth orbit satellites for critical Antarctic communications needs. This project is highlighted as necessary because “The mainland link to South Pole Station satellite communication has restricted access to the currently available and future government-owned and -operated satellites.” The AIR program would also support raising the Martin A Pomerantz Observatory (MAPO) and the BICEP Array Replacement Tower (BART), both of which are being buried in snow and would eventually become unusable.

NSF also requests $30 million for Mid-scale Research Infrastructure (RI) Track 2. While this would represent a 68% increase to the FY25 enacted level for Mid-scale RI, Directorate-wide Mid-scale RI programs funding is decreased by 66% compared to FY25 and NSF-wide mid-scale RI (which received $40 million in FY25 within R&RA) is now proposed for termination. The Mid-scale Research Infrastructure (RI) Track 2 would “support priority science and engineering research” and cover projects with individual implementation costs between $20.0 million and $100.0 million. NSF does not plan on making new Mid-scale RI awards in FY26 or FY27.

For the US Extremely Large Telescope (US-ELT) Program, the request states:

“NSF selected one project — the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) — to advance to the Major Facility Final Design Stage. The GMT Organization has assured the Foundation that it can complete this phase with no additional investments from NSF. Thus, the FY 2027 Request provides no design funds for this or any other ELT project.”

In January 2026, The FY26 Commerce-Justice-Science Joint Explanatory Statement instructed “that NSF shall immediately advance both US Extremely Large Telescopes into final design review, at no cost to the Federal Government. Not later than 45 days after enactment of this act, NSF shall brief the Committees about how the Foundation intends to implement this congressional direction and requesting regular program updates thereafter.”

DOE

Updated 6 May 2026 at PM ET: The detailed FY27 Office of Science Congressional Justification was released after this blog post was published. Please see the section titled More Details from the Congressional Justification for more details. 

The detailed budget request for the Office of Science has not yet been released, so we have included below the information we currently have as it relates to the astronomical sciences. When we have more details, we will update this section accordingly.

The FY27 DOE Budget in Brief asks for $7.1 billion for DOE Office of Science, representing a 13% decrease compared to FY26 enacted levels. This includes a 9% cut to the High Energy Physics office, which houses DOE’s Cosmic Frontier program.

Within High Energy Physics, the budget justification states that funds will be used to support AI and machine learning, quantum information science, microelectronics, and core research activities across High Energy Physics’s six science drivers: Higgs boson, neutrinos, new particles, quantum imprints, dark matter, and cosmic evolution. The budget request also states that DOE will continue to support the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI).

The proposed budget supports internships, fellowships, the visiting faculty program, and partnerships with community colleges for preparing skilled professionals in DOE activities through the Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists program, albeit with a 6% funding cut. The request also supports K-12 students and teachers through the National Science Board and Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, “with increased support for advancing AI education for American youth, including support for the national AI Challenge.”

More Details from the Congressional Justification (Added 7 May 2026) 

The DOE Office of Science Congressional Justification (CJ) proposes a 22% cut to the Cosmic Frontier Experimental Physics subprogram, including a 56% cut to Research and a 6% increase to Facility Operations and Experimental Support, stating that: 

“The Request strategically focuses resources on maximizing scientific return from leading dark energy, dark matter, and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiments. Funding for research decreases while operations increases to prioritize data collection and production from the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, DESI, and SuperCDMS-SNOLAB, utilizing AI/ML to improve efficiency and accelerate discoveries in dark energy and dark matter.” 

On Cosmic Frontier Research, the CJ states that “The Request will continue to support researchers exploring dark energy, dark matter, and inflation using the CMB. Emphasis will be placed on collaborative efforts and the efficient application of AI/ML to drive discoveries within the leading experiments”, and that Research funding will prioritize the highest-impact science, including discoveries in dark energy and dark matter.  

On Facility Operations and Experimental Support, the CJ says that “Increased funding will support the optimal operation of key Cosmic Frontier experiments, particularly the Rubin Observatory, [Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument] DESI, and SuperCDMS-SNOLAB.” 

The CJ lists the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the beginning of its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) as an accomplishment of the Cosmic Frontier Experimental Physics and also calls out the accomplishments of DESI using AI/ML to show that dark energy is not static but evolves with time. 

Other Agencies

The PBR suggests cutting the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) by $993 million, representing a 54% cut from FY26 enacted levels of $1.85 billion. As reported by AIP FYI, however, $662 million of the FY26 NIST budget was appropriated as earmarks for construction and community projects. Excluding earmarks, NIST’s FY26 budget was $1.18 billion. The proposed funding reduction includes a 42% cut to Scientific and Technical Research Services, an 83% cut to Industrial Technology Services, and a 77% cut to Construction of Research Facilities.

On NIST, the PBR says:

“The Budget slashes wasteful spending at NIST that has long funded awards for the development of curricula that advance a radical climate agenda. NIST’s Circular Economy Program exploited grants to universities to push environmental alarmism. The Budget also eliminates the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, an underperforming and unnecessary program that has failed to accelerate America’s manufacturers’ ability to compete in the 21st Century and instead turned its attention to promoting DEI as a solution to the decline in American manufacturing. For example, NIST gave grants and awards to:

• Train Native American community college instructors about clean energy electrification using a program intended to advance semiconductor technology;
• Give African American or Black, “LatinX,” and Native American college students all-expenses paid trips to gain an “inside track” into biopharma careers; and
• The University of Vermont to enable the development of equitable climate adaptation plans.”

The PBR also proposes $4.46 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which would be a 28% cut to the agency compared to FY26. This includes the termination of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.

The budget prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for publishing and subscription fees. Although the following text is included in the Department of Energy section of the President’s Budget, it appears to be setting policy across the federal government:

“The Budget ends the diversion of research dollars to high priced publishers across the Government. The Budget prohibits the use of Federal funds for expensive subscriptions to academic journals and prohibitively high publishing costs unless required by Federal statute or approved in advance by a Federal agency. Research funded by taxpayers should be publicly accessible; yet many publications charge the Government to both publish and to access the same research study. There are numerous low-cost outlets to make federally-funded research publicly available.”

Within the Department of War, the PBR proposes “game-changing space-based missile defense sensors and interceptors, kinetic and non-kinetic missile defeat and defense capabilities, and enabling technologies for a layered, next-generation homeland missile defense system.” The PBR also supports continued infrastructure to secure US interests in space, including Golden Dome, launch infrastructure, and classified programs.