NSF Seeks Input on FY 2026–2030 Strategic Plan

By: Yvette Seger
Thursday, January 22, 2026
On January 13, the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a Dear Colleague Letter seeking public input on its draft FY 2026 – 2030 Strategic Plan. The plan – which consists of three goals and objectives and strategies for fulfilling those goals – reflects administration priorities to ensure the United States is at the leading edge of discovery and innovation in science and engineering. Specifically, the three goals are:

1. Ensure American excellence and national security through investments in transformative research and innovation;
2. Advance American leadership in science and technology by empowering STEM talent; and
3. Accelerate NSF’s impact by optimizing capability and modernizing operations.

The plan also includes a crosscutting strategy for accelerating discovery and translation through partnerships and an agency priority goal to identify ways to reduce administrative burden in the agency’s proposal and award management processes.

The Dear Colleague Letter seeks input on four questions pertaining to the draft plan:

1. What opportunities exist that could help enable progress toward NSF’s objectives and strategies?
2. How might NSF foster partnership with a wide range of organizations to implement the strategies in its FY 2026 – 2030 Strategic Plan?
3. What data or evidence should NSF consider as it develops mechanisms to evaluate progress and measure success in achieving the objectives in its FY 2026 – 2030 Strategic Plan?
4. Is there any other information that would assist NSF in achieving the goals and objectives under its FY 2026 – 2030 Strategic Plan?

Comments on the plan must be submitted to NSF via an online form by January 27.