Editor:

When we hear about federal funding for science, it’s often tied to big breakthroughs – curing cancer, exploring space. These are important and worth funding, but they’re only part of the story.

As a biology professor at San Francisco State University, the breakthroughs I see most often aren’t the big scientific discoveries. They’re breakthroughs in my students’ heads. Every semester, I hear from biology students who never imagined they could write computer code or apply machine learning to biomedical research. Now, they’re doing just that, and getting into PhD programs because of it. Meanwhile, computer science students are discovering how their skills apply to medicine and biotech, not just the tech industry.

These eye-opening experiences wouldn’t happen without the National Science Foundation (NSF). Over the past decade, I’ve helped lead two NSF-funded education initiatives: the PINC program, which created a computing minor for biology and chemistry undergrads, and the GOLD program, which offers a data science certificate for master’s students. More than a thousand students have benefited from these programs, going on to jobs and graduate programs in the Bay Area and beyond. 

NSF funding made it possible to develop these interdisciplinary programs. It allowed us to reduce teaching loads, freeing up time to learn new skills, collaborate across departments, and create hands-on data science courses that hadn’t existed on our campus before. These efforts even led to a new partnership with Genentech, where their staff now co-teach and learn alongside our students. 

But these kinds of educational innovations are under threat. According to the New York Times, NSF spending on education-focused projects dropped 71% in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Our latest grant proposal was also rejected.

While the PINC and GOLD programs will survive for now, many similar initiatives won’t. Without sustained federal support, innovation in STEM education will stall.

If you believe, as I do, that training the next generation of scientists and equipping students with interdisciplinary skills is a good use of tax dollars, please contact your representatives. The National Science Foundation’s work matters – to science, and to students.

Pleuni Pennings, Professor, Biology, SF State University

My work is / has been supported by grants and contracts from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Genentech Inc and the Genentech Foundation.