GoKawiilNSF funding for US social sciences collapses, archaeology and economics hit hardest
The National Science Foundation funded fewer than 100 new social-science grants in fiscal year 2026, down from a historical average of about 850 per year, according to data from Grant Witness and the NSF itself. Entire programme areas, including archaeology and economics, received no new awards at all, even as the agency touted that 75 Nobel economics laureates had previously received NSF support.
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Researchers such as economist Michael Woodford describe the NSF as the primary or sole funding source for much of US social science, suggesting the cuts could stall training pipelines and long-term research like archaeological fieldwork that relies on sustained grant support. The gap between the agency's past support of laureates and its near-total halt of new grants highlights a widening disconnect between NSF's historical role and its current funding priorities.
- NSF funded under 100 new social-science grants in FY2026, versus an ~850 annual average historically
- Programme areas including archaeology and economics received zero new grants
- Economists like Nobel laureate Michael Woodford say NSF has been their primary or only funding source
Source: nature.com — Garisto, 2026-11-03
Published there as: “US social sciences face existential crisis after NSF cuts”
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