Overview
- The administration’s budget chief Russell Vought said the National Science Foundation will break up NCAR and relocate any “vital” work, calling the Boulder lab a source of “climate alarmism.”
- NCAR underpins U.S. research and forecasting with NSF core funding of about $123 million in FY2025, a staff of roughly 830, two research aircraft, and the Cheyenne supercomputing facility.
- White House officials cited specific NCAR programs as concerns, including the Rising Voices Center for Indigenous and Earth Sciences, an art–science initiative, and research on offshore wind impacts.
- UCAR president Antonio Busalacchi and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis warned that dismantling the center would set back science, jeopardize public safety, and erode national security and economic resilience.
- Forbes reported local economic losses could reach $98 million if NCAR shuts, as scientists highlighted broader national costs and noted the review lacks a clear timeline or implementation plan.