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The NSF awarded 6,238 grants in fiscal 2026 and around 8,650 in fiscal 2025, compared with an average of 11,387 grants awarded annually between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2024.

The decrease in awarded grants can be seen across nearly all the agency’s directorates, despite Congress prohibiting the NSF from cutting any directorate’s budget by more than 5% compared with fiscal 2024 in the latest spending bill. “There’s just way less out there for researchers."

In addition to creating fewer funding opportunities for researchers, the NSF’s decision to roll this much money into the next fiscal year could affect the agency’s budget going forward. Every cut can have ripple effects that last for years.