National Science Foundation leader Brian Stone to retire with no clear replacement in sight

Scientific American · Adam Kovac · 2026-10-21 19:30 UTC

President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace Stone, James O’Neill, has yet to have a confirmation hearing in the Senate, leaving the future leadership of the NSF unclear

The interim head of the National Science Foundation (NSF), Brian Stone, is set to retire as soon as the end of this year, according to reports. There is no clear plan for a successor to steer the agency because President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the NSF, James O'Neill, has yet to have a confirmation hearing in the Senate.

Stone, who has led the agency since the spring of last year, will resign effective December 31, according to a memo that was sent to NSF staff on Tuesday and was obtained by journalist Dan Garisto. In the note, Stone reportedly wrote that he would be “working closely with the White House to identify who will perform the duties of the NSF Director as of January 1, 2027, should Mr. O’Neill’s nomination still be pending at that time.”

In a statement to Scientific American, NSF spokesperson Mike England appeared to confirm Stone’s upcoming retirement but did not confirm whether he would be leaving at the end of 2026.

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