Cuts to NSF and CISE Directorate Jeopardize American Leadership in Computing
A statement from the Computing Research Association (CRA)
The reported termination today of 10 percent of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) workforce — including significant cuts to the Computing and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate — is a deeply troubling, self-inflicted setback to U.S. leadership in computing research. These cuts are the very definition of being pennywise and pound foolish — a shortsighted move that will undermine American innovation and technological leadership and decrease our competitiveness and national security while delivering negligible cost savings.
The CISE Directorate plays a critical role in the nation’s computing research ecosystem, supporting nearly 80 percent of fundamental computing research at U.S. universities. These investments — both in funding and expert personnel — have been instrumental in driving breakthroughs that power a $2 trillion IT sector, strengthen national security, and sustain U.S. competitiveness in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, high-performance computing, and other key fields. Cutting CISE’s workforce not only disrupts this essential research but also jeopardizes the future of American leadership in computing.
NSF is one of the most efficient federal agencies, operating with less than 9 percent overhead costs. These arbitrary terminations are not justified by performance metrics or efficiency concerns; rather, they represent a drastic and unnecessary weakening of the U.S. research enterprise. For more than 70 years, NSF has fueled discoveries that have transformed industries, created high-paying jobs, and bolstered national security. Undermining this critical infrastructure will have long-term consequences that cannot be easily reversed.
These personnel cuts come amid broader concerns about reductions to NSF’s budget, which CRA addressed in a recent statement: NSF Budget Cuts Would Put the Future of U.S. Innovation and Security at Risk. The U.S. cannot afford to weaken its investment in research at a time when global competitors are increasing theirs. We urge policymakers to reverse these damaging cuts and reaffirm the nation’s commitment to scientific and technological leadership.
