The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that promotes scientific research to improve public health and welfare and protect the country. ¹

Activities

In 2017, the NSF’s Inspector General released a report detailing the risk of the NSF hiring IPAs due to their conflicts of interest. The name refers to the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970, which allows for temporary hires to positions within the Executive Branch of the Federal Government whilst other groups like nonprofits or universities can help fund said positions. According to the report, the Inspector General urges the NSF to “take corrective actions to strengthen controls over IPA conflicts of interests, including reassess controls to ensure staff do not have access to awards and proposals for which they are conflicted.” ²

According to watchdog group Foundation for Freedom Online, between 2021 and 2022 the NSF issued roughly 64 government grants, totaling $31.8 million for the purpose of ““countering” social media “mis/disinformation,”” with an additional $7 million in two government grants being issued during that same period of time (equaling roughly $38.8 million in grants since the start of the Biden Administration). According to the Foundation for Freedom Online, the highest grants that went to college universities: these include the State University of New York (SUNY) (4 grants, totaling $4.22 million), George Washington University (GWU) (4 grants, totaling $4 million, the University of Wisconsin (3 grants, totaling $3.83 million), and the University of Washington (3 grants, totaling $3.52 million). ³

Between 2021 and 2023, the National Science Foundation awarded a $1.75 million grant to support a research project involving interdisciplinary undergraduate education at the intersection of mathematics, robotics, and weaving. Conducted by faculty from the University of Southern California and the University of California, Irvine, the project aimed to explore innovative pedagogical approaches by integrating design-based research with experimental learning in collaborative computing and robotic loom technologies. A resulting academic paper discussed the implementation of a 10-week elective course that examined mathematics through a creative, inclusive lens, referencing concepts such as “queering” mathematics to challenge traditional binaries in educational spaces. While the grant summary did not reference this framing directly, it emphasized the development and testing of course materials and tools to support undergraduate learning across disciplines. ⁴

1. “National Science Foundation.” NSF. Accessed July 18, 2022.https://www.nsf.gov/about/
2. Thompson, Alex. “Ex-Google boss helps fund dozens of jobs in Biden’s administration.” Politico, December 22, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/22/eric-schmidt-joe-biden-administration-00074160
3. Benz, Mike. “Biden’s National Science Foundation Has Pumped Nearly $40 Million Into Social Media Censorship Grants and Contracts.” Foundation for Freedom Online, November 22, 2022. https://foundationforfreedomonline.com/bidens-national-science-foundation-has-pumped-nearly-40-million-into-social-media-censorship-grants-and-contracts/
4. Lamb, Matt. “National Science Foundation Spent $1.75 Million on ‘queering of Mathematics’ through ‘Weaving.’” The College Fix, July 15, 2025. https://www.thecollegefix.com/national-science-foundation-spent-1-75-million-on-queering-of-mathematics-through-weaving/.