National Science Board Commission Issues Report on NSF Merit Review Practices

By: Yvette Seger
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
On December 17, the National Science Board (NSB) Commission on Merit Review issued its long-awaited final report, Merit Review for a Changing Landscape. This report is the culmination of a study initiated by the NSB in 2022 to “re-examine the current merit review policy, associated criteria, and process.” This was the first review of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) merit review criteria since 2011.

While the Commission found that NSF’s Merit Review policy and processes were foundationally strong, it also identified several opportunities for improvement to provide clarity to applicants, empower NSF program directors to maximize research portfolios, and maintain public trust. The report provided six recommendations for consideration by the NSB:

1. Pursue renaming the “Broader Impacts” criterion to “Societal Benefits.”
2. Maintain the two current review criteria, presently named Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts, refine the definitions of each criterion, and clarify the use of additional review considerations.
3. Emphasize the imperative to both promote the progress of science and engineering and deliver societal benefits from NSF-funded research and education, in accordance with statute.
4. Strengthen the emphasis on expanding participation, including (but not limited to) institution type, geography, demographics, field of expertise, and sector of employment, as permitted by law.
5. Revise NSB’s Merit Review policy to clarify the alignment of award portfolios with agency strategy and outcomes.
6. Update Merit Review policies and processes to strengthen transparency and accountability and promote continuous improvement.

The NSB is expected to utilize the report and recommendations to inform potential changes to the agency’s existing Merit Review processes in the coming months.