NSF Tells House Panel It Is Reviewing Large Facilities; Says It Has Not Announced Restructuring of NCAR

The National Science Foundation told the House Science subcommittee it is reviewing its portfolio of large facility awards and will seek community input before taking action on specific centers, including the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Dr. Rebecca Kaiser, acting chief of research security strategy and policy at NSF, said the agency is "reviewing all of our large facilities" and plans a "dear colleague" letter to solicit input from the research community. Asked specifically whether NSF intended to terminate the NCAR award, Kaiser said the agency had not announced intent to restructure NCAR and is conscious of the vital research functions performed there.

Why it matters: NCAR supports weather‑modeling and forecasting capabilities used in life‑safety applications such as extreme weather prediction. Members pressed NSF for clarity on scope and timelines and requested a briefing; the committee also placed a memo about an NSF notice into the record by unanimous consent.

On staffing, Representative Sykes pressed NSF about a statutory requirement in the CHIPS and Science Act that NSF’s research‑security office include at least four full‑time equivalent positions in addition to the chief. Dr. Kaiser stated NSF currently has the chief and three additional personnel and is in the process of hiring another staffer. "We are in compliance with the law and we are building up even more," she said.

What’s next: NSF will solicit community input on large facilities and continue hiring to meet statutory staffing expectations; the committee will continue oversight and may request additional briefings.

Ending: The record remains open for written comments and requests for further information.