"US President Donald Trump plans to nominate biotechnology investor Jim O'Neill to be the next leader of the National Science Foundation (NSF), a White House spokesperson confirmed to Nature. The NSF, one of the largest funders of basic US research, has been without a permanent head since April 2025 when director Sethuraman Panchanathan abruptly resigned as the Trump administration cut hundreds of the agency's research grants and proposed a massive budget cut."
"If confirmed by the US Senate, O'Neill would be the first non-scientist or engineer to lead the NSF. He is no stranger to government roles, though: he has served in administrative positions at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the parent agency of the CDC and the NIH. "His background is very different from that of his predecessors, all of whom were scientists or engineers and had R&D experience,""
Donald Trump plans to nominate Jim O'Neill, a biotechnology investor and recent acting CDC head, to lead the National Science Foundation. Jayanta Bhattacharya will become the acting CDC head. If confirmed, O'Neill would be the first non-scientist or engineer to direct the NSF and brings administrative experience at HHS. The NSF has experienced about 30% staff losses, the abrupt April 2025 resignation of director Sethuraman Panchanathan, cuts to research grants, and a proposed large budget reduction, leaving the agency facing significant operational and funding challenges.
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