Urge Your Members of Congress To Support the National Science Foundation

This Action Alert has ended. More than 325 AAS members emailed or called their members of Congress using this form, resulting in 132 House signatories and 38 Senate signatories. Thank you all for your advocacy.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is under threat. Reductions in force (RIFs), grant freezes/cancelations, and rumored deep budget cuts are disrupting our community's ability to conduct basic science research and train the next generation of scientists and engineers. NSF funds vital research experiences for undergraduates looking to gain the skills necessary for success. More than a quarter of all graduate students in cutting-edge research areas are funded by NSF. Drastic cuts would irrevocably harm students and researchers who rely on competitive grants. Without strong funding and a stable workforce pipeline, we stand to lose talent and innovation that drive the future of American science.

AAS has worked with the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF), which includes over 80 science societies and universities, to develop a Congressional letter advocating for $10.18 billion in NSF funding in FY 2026 in order to move forward with our country's scientific missions and support our highly-skilled workforce. This letter is led by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA).

We have provided an example phone and email script to help you craft your message. Please share some details about the work you do that is enabled by the National Science Foundation in the "Personal message" box. The most effective action would be to both email and call your representatives. When you click the call button, our software will connect you with all three of your Members of Congress in succession, so please end each call with the star (*) button instead of the end-call button to be automatically directed to your next member.

Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions before reaching out to your representatives. Please note that any messages with crude or inflammatory language will not be passed on. 

Thank you for advocating for your research and for the U.S. astronomical community.