LOS ANGELES — The National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education program has delayed its 2026 grant awards. The program's staff has been reduced by 50 percent since the beginning of the second Trump term.
Multiple grants were canceled, staffing was reduced, senior appointees were assigned to manage grant decisions, and the agency board was removed in the spring. The American Association of Community Colleges is requesting a $10 million increase for Advanced Technological Education projects. The program provides funding to support community colleges in training STEM workers, and community colleges are required to lead or serve as major partners for all projects funded by the program.
Miami Dade College, Houston City College, and Maricopa Community Colleges launched the National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium in 2024 using a $2.8 million grant through the program. Eduardo Salcedo, principal investigator for the consortium, said, "Without the help of ATE, I don't think this would have been possible at all." Salcedo added, "You're no longer in a silo. You're now in a community." The consortium has distributed AI educational materials to hundreds of institutions and trained approximately 3,200 faculty and staff members. The program is critical for providing the artificial intelligence workforce requested by the administration.
Los Angeles Pierce College received funding through the program and launched its biotechnology program in 2022. Aron Kamajaya, biotechnology program director at Los Angeles Pierce College, said, "Through all of this funding, essentially we were able to attract more partnerships." Kamajaya added, "As the saying goes, money attracts money." The college lacked initial funding for biotechnology equipment. Enrollment in the college's biotechnology associate degree program increased from approximately 20 students to over 80 students annually, prompting the launch of a biomanufacturing baccalaureate degree in the fall. The funding supports internships and a partnership with DNA sequencing company Illumina to bring a high school curriculum to Los Angeles classrooms.
James Hermes, associate vice president of government relations at the American Association of Community Colleges, said, "When people think of the NSF, their mind doesn't necessarily go first to workforce development, but this is very much a workforce development program." Ellen Hause, associate vice president of academic and student affairs at the association, said, "If the program is hampered, it impacts our ability to respond to industry need and to be nimble, to prepare STEM technicians."
The Trump administration proposed a $4.8 billion reduction to the National Science Foundation's budget for fiscal year 2027, but the agency was excluded from the cut. House Republicans proposed legislation to reduce the agency's funding by approximately $1.75 billion. The program was established 32 years ago and has historically received bipartisan support. It has invested approximately $1.6 billion in training since its founding. Fields funded by the program include nanotechnology, mechatronics, and environmental technology. The program supports Consortia for Innovations in Technician Education and funds 10 centers across the country dedicated to improving technical education.