ASPB has joined more than 40 scientific organizations in urging Congress to fully support the National Science Foundation (NSF) and reject the proposed elimination of the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE).
In the letter, the organizations describe SBE as “an indispensable and essential part of the nation’s overall research enterprise” and emphasize that it serves as “a vital cross-directorate partner, integrating the human element across NSF’s portfolio.”
For the plant science community, addressing challenges such as climate resilience, food security, and biotechnology adoption requires not only scientific discovery but also an understanding of human behavior, decision-making, and societal impacts. ASPB supports a strong, interdisciplinary research ecosystem that enables scientific advances to deliver meaningful benefits to society.
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