Stand Up for Science says it helped drive 900-plus NSF comments

Stand Up for Science says its comment portal generated more than 900 public comments on the National Science Foundation’s proposed rule changes before the comment period closed Aug. 24, accounting for nearly a third of the more than 3,000 comments filed. The group says the proposal would reshape NSF grantmaking and increase pressure on universities that receive most of the agency’s research funding.

Why it matters: - The NSF proposal could change how one of the federal government’s largest science funders manages grants. - The rule also adds new information-collection and institutional requirements for universities, which perform most of the research NSF funds. - Stand Up for Science says the proposal threatens independent science and could widen political control over research funding.

What happened: - Stand Up for Science says its Stop Vought, Save Science Action Center facilitated more than 900 public comments on the NSF proposal. - The comment period closed last night. - The proposal drew more than 3,000 total public comments. - Stand Up for Science’s portal accounted for nearly one-third of those submissions. - Dr. Colette Delawalla, founder and CEO of Stand Up for Science, said the response reflected broad pushback against what she described as a political and ideological takeover of scientific funding.

The details: - The Action Center includes an overview of the proposed NSF rule and its implications. - The site also offers a guide for writing comments. - Stand Up for Science provides resources for calling and emailing members of Congress about the proposal. - The group held two workshops to give live help with comments. - The NSF proposal would overhaul how the agency manages its grantmaking program. - The proposal would align NSF rules with the not-yet-finalized OMB grant rule proposal released earlier this year. - The proposal would increase information collection and other institutional requirements for universities.

Between the lines: - The high comment count suggests the NSF proposal has become a flashpoint in the broader fight over federal science policy. - The overlap with the earlier OMB rule fight indicates organized resistance is building across related federal proposals. - Stand Up for Science is positioning its Action Center as both an organizing tool and a policy pressure point.

What's next: - Stand Up for Science says Dr. Colette Delawalla is available for comment. - The public comment record will now feed into the NSF’s next steps on the rule. - The outcome could influence how much oversight and reporting universities face in future NSF grants.

The bottom line: - Stand Up for Science turned the NSF comment process into a major advocacy campaign, and the agency now faces a substantial public record of opposition as it weighs the rule changes.