[fionic]

There’s a lot of political commentary in these threads about how dumb the admin is this and that, sarcasm, etc. but is anyone able to share why this is such a truly beneficial org to our country? I’m just out of the loop on this and I’m genuinely asking, I have never really heard of them. But by the reactions in the comments they’re like the most blessed org of our country and accelerate innovation and advancement of the USA. It’s just a foundation? Please just let me know, I’m not trying to be weird and I’d appreciate being civil about it.

[eat_veggies]

From the Wikipedia article about the NSF:

> With an annual budget of about $9.9 billion (fiscal year 2023), the NSF funds approximately 25% of all federally supported basic research conducted by the United States' colleges and universities. In some fields, such as mathematics, computer science, economics, and the social sciences, the NSF is the major source of federal backing [...] Since the technology boom of the 1980s, the U.S. Congress has generally embraced the premise that government-funded basic research is essential for the nation's economic health and global competitiveness, and for national defense.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Science_Foundation

[simonw]

This is the kind of scientific research which companies don't generally pay for because it doesn't have direct commercial application, but that companies and the economy benefit from enormously because you can use the results of that science to build a great deal of useful commercial things.

[LeCompteSftware]

The more important research is the kind that the economy doesn't especially benefit from, but which needs to happen in order to improve the quality of human life.

I had a job paid by the National Science Foundation, doing genomics research on children with extremely rare (sometimes unique) genetic diseases. We did publish papers, and Big Pharma can glean a little bit about how we handled the biomedical informatics of managing data across different highly specialized labs, maybe a researcher will incrementally improve GWAS across the field. But that research was important because actual human children were suffering and needed help.

[magicalhippo]

> This is the kind of scientific research which companies don't generally pay for because it doesn't have direct commercial application

Tom over at the Explosions&Fire channel (and Extractions&Ire channel) just published a video[1] about his academic career. In it he noted that in Australia where he's located, the defense companies were an exception to that general rule, and did indeed sponsor a fair bit of basic research, including his PhD. I assume in areas they figured had potential, but still.

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbdVkcr-Nw

[FireBeyond]

Even so, Australia still has the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) so there's that funding and research too, which actually has, per capita, about a similar funding (equivalent of US$9B adjusted), though they generally do most of that research 'in house' versus funding it externally.

[ivewonyoung]

.

[simonw]

See sibling comment - NSF also funds science which doesn't have direct or indirect commercial applications (I shouldn't have implied that only commercial applications matter): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47906005

What kind of an agenda does studying Gendered impact of COVID-19 in the Arctic carry?

[jaredklewis]

They fund more than 10k research grants a year. These grants are for research into basic, unapplied science that would be extremely unlikely to get funding from the private sector. But this research is the foundation for the applied science whose breakthroughs power our economy.

Basic science also increases our understanding of the world and universe, an admirable goal in its own right.

[2ndorderthought]

So... This is worth a personal Google search on your part. This organization is a large part of the life blood for all research and development in the United States. It funds research, students, projects.

You know how the US had people from all over the world trying to get into our schools, and how they regularly figured things out important economic healthcare and other discoveries by being ahead of the curve? This group is a huge reason why.

Here's a good link for just 9 things that came from nsf funded studies. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/science/federally-funded-... the first being GPS. There are way more and the obvious ripple down effect of having trained people who went into industry and innovated in the private sector.

[JuniperMesos]

> You know how the US had people from all over the world trying to get into our schools, and how they regularly figured things out important economic healthcare and other discoveries by being ahead of the curve? This group is a huge reason why.

A lot of people from all over the world are trying to get into US schools because it's a way to get a US visa, and legal residency in the US is valuable enough that people are willing to go to great lengths in order to obtain it.

This isn't just a hypothetical, a guy I know from Europe who is currently enrolled in a master's degree program in the US told me outright that the primary motivating factor for him to get a master's degree was because it was the most expedient way for him to get a visa to the US. I know other people who have deliberately enrolled or sought to enroll in higher education programs in other countries they wanted to spend time in, as a way of getting a visa, plus in some cases a stipend from the government of that country.

Certainly some people who attempt to immigrate to the US via the educational system are in fact doing valuable research work - but I think the vast majority of them are not, and I don't really trust the current leadership of the NSF to set up systems that accurately discern between research programs that genuinely benefit the country or the world; and research programs that are actually an excuse to get US visas to smart but ultimately mediocre people from other countries who would prefer to be in the US rather than their own country.

[2ndorderthought]

As someone with a bit of higher education experience. There was a large amount of Chinese students paying cash to do their Ph.d's in the US. Probably 50% of the student body in some schools. A large portion of that 50% went immediately back to China after obtaining their degrees.

https://eig.org/immigrant-retention-estimates/

[JuniperMesos]

How many of them had children on US soil before returning?

[2ndorderthought]

Of the ones I knew, zero. They got their degree, put all of their stuff in the apartment dumpster, a lot of it brand new, and left. Can't speak for others.

[porcoda]

NSF is one of the primary agencies supporting research in the US. It’s not a “foundation” in the sense of charitable foundations if that’s what’s confusing you about their name. The base research engine that fuels the US in most disciplines comes from support like NSF, DOE, NIH. Damage those, and you damage the foundation upon which a lot of our intellectual strength sits.

[konaraddi]

> the NSF funds approximately 25% of all federally supported basic research conducted by the United States' colleges and universities.[5][6] In some fields, such as mathematics, computer science, economics, and the social sciences, the NSF is the major source of federal backing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Science_Foundation

EDIT: other folks beat me to it

[stevemk14ebr]

> It’s just a foundation? Please just let me know

We are each responsible for learning ourselves, and we live in a time where that is easier than ever. I find it odd your default position is to assume it is not important.

[fionic]

My default position is not to assume it’s not important. I’m actually assuming it’s important from everyone’s negative comments. So since I don’t know much about what sort of advancements they’re engineering ( no one is really answering the question specifically I guess bc I can definitely wiki search them too.) so I want to know historically what have they improved and funded that has benefited society etc. so yeah I guess I can just ask AI since you’re saying don’t talk to other humans here…

[dekhn]

The platform you're using- a website on the Internet- was funded for, and developed by, NSF (many other orgs contributed). They played a critical role in the 1980s when the net was in a period of tremendous growth. They helped enable the transition of the internet from a military/academic research project into a huge driver of the economy. That's just one example but they played critical role in developing many other science and technology.

I find in conversations like these, if I don't know something fundamental like the NSF's role in American science, it's pretty easy to do a short bit of research before commenting. It's not bad to ask questions, but I figure if the question has a basic factual answer in wikipedia, it's best to start there.

[amanaplanacanal]

Some basic research on Wikipedia would help you learn a lot, I suspect.

[jmye]

It's not odd, given the rest of his comment ("they’re like the most blessed org"), it's just plain and simple dishonesty from someone who thinks a top-level comment casting doubt is better for the agitprop than a million follow-ups with explanation.

[krapp]

This entire thread has swiftly descended upon by bots, shills and sockpuppets. It'll be flagged before any hope of finding good faith conversation in the morass.

It's wild how efficient they are, sometimes.

[jmye]

It's just weird to see it here, honestly. I wouldn't have expected the ROI on this board to be worth it. It just feels, whatever the admins think, more like reddit with this crap.

[krapp]

The problem with green alt accounts trolling threads like this has been getting worse for a while. I don't know what can be done about it other than to just flag them, but that doesn't stop them.

[dullcrisp]

Yeah but is anything really that important in the long run? We’re all just weird monkeys who are all going to die eventually. If President Trump really wants to do something, why not just let him do it and stop complaining? Do you really want to make President Trump sad?

[jmye]

Is this a serious comment?

> why not just let him do it and stop complaining?

Because I have to live on this planet for a few more decades. I feel like I'm being trolled?

[dullcrisp]

Okay yes I am joking.

There, I added an extra sentence to make it approximately 20% funnier.

[jackmott42]

I think you are right that we should focus on the fact that the president raped children, invaded Iran with no plan and for no reason when he promised not to start a war, and violates the constitution and law daily without consequence.

We are all failing morally for not revolting at this level of corruption.

He raped kids and the entire GOP is helping to cover that up.

He raped kids and the entire GOP is helping to cover that up.

[SecretDreams]

You're not expected to be in the loop for why every minor org in the government is helpful to the country, much like I'm not supposed to know the roles and responsibilities of everyone else in my company.

But if I have a specific question regarding what some entity does, I can always look into it on my own time, rather than have a default stance on what they might do/not do.

[fionic]

My stance is completely neutral. My comment was about the temp in this thread being extremely negative and so I’m asking how come? What are they doing please enlighten me. Not bc I think it’s the opposite, bc I’d like to be educated by my peers in order to be on their side or atleast have a discussion. I didn’t realize this is wrong by pretty much all who has responded to me. Telling me to google it myself and I’m not genuine and I’m being called names.. this is. Wild.

[MobiusHorizons]

My understanding is that the national science foundation supports scientific research presumably through grants. Academia is already having a lot of funding troubles, so this likely means things will get worse in the academic sciences.

[thangalin]

https://i.ibb.co/qM5xgPZ6/fascism-five-stages.png

The NSF is an independent federal agency that funds roughly a quarter of all basic academic research in the US, laying the groundwork for technologies like the Internet backbone and MRIs. The NSB is its governing body, composed of top scientists who serve staggered six-year terms specifically so no single administration can wipe out the entire board at once. That continuity is designed to insulate scientific priority-setting from political pressure, ensuring American research funding is directed by objective merit rather than political patronage. Dismissing all members simultaneously removes the exact oversight mechanism built to prevent political offices from dictating scientific agendas.

From a political science perspective, this is an institutional move Robert Paxton described in his stages of fascist development. His framework identifies patterns where political actors weaken or bypass independent bodies designed to constrain executive power. In Paxton's fourth stage, the exercising of power, an executive consolidates control by actively dismantling these checks. Centralizing control over scientific governance by firing the board for opposing a budget cut is hollowing out an independent institution; it's a pathway Paxton documented whereby institutional checks are weakened in ways that accumulate over time.

https://election.princeton.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Pa...

[hectdev]

Wiki: "With an annual budget of about $9.9 billion (fiscal year 2023), the NSF funds approximately 25% of all federally supported basic research conducted by the United States' colleges and universities.[5][6] In some fields, such as mathematics, computer science, economics, and the social sciences, the NSF is the major source of federal backing."

Personal: Always saw them as contributing to PBS kids shows I watch growing up.

[jkestner]

You don’t think it’s worth it to research this yourself. That’s what the NSF is for, on a bigger scale! LMGTFY: https://www.nsf.gov/impacts

[fionic]

I appreciate the link. Maybe someone has some more specific information or has been personally impacted? I guess it’s not worthwhile to talk to others and I should just ask AI. Have a nice day.

[dekhn]

The AI you ask is based on technology developed by (not exclusively) researchers funded by the NSF.

[tokyobreakfast]

They see "foundation" and assume MacGyver and Pete Thornton work there.

[pastelhues]

[deleted]

[fionic]

I’m real. I’m from USA. Just trying to ask a question. The responses have been enlightening. I’m learning so much about myself.

[amanaplanacanal]

I'm kind of wondering how old you are? You could find this stuff out for yourself, you know.

[stackghost]

You've never heard of the National Science Foundation?

I'm not even American and I've heard of it. The NSF's mission is to promote science and engineering in all 50 states.

[fionic]

Nope never heard of it