Issue: Lifelong STEM Engagement
Updated February 2025
As part of our community’s efforts to make the case for museums, this brief describes the essential role that museums of all sizes and types have in addressing some of the most urgent issues of our day and discusses our collective requests to support robust funding for federal programs that advance education and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Top-Line Talking Points
During Museums Advocacy Day, we tell stories of impact about our work in our communities and make the case for continued federal support for that work. A critical part of your museum’s impact is through the role you play in your community and region’s educational ecosystem. This includes the informal learning environments that happens in museums and the work many museums do to improve formal K–12 education including by creating curriculum, training teachers, and offering hands-on learning that complements in-class instruction.
The federal government supports lifelong STEM learning in museums including through grant programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, and Energy, among others. This is in addition to support for STEM-focused projects at other agencies including the Institute of Museum of Library Services (IMLS) and the National Endowments for the Humanities (NEH) and the Arts (NEA). If your museum has used funding from any federal agency to advance STEM learning, share the stories of how that support has benefited your community. Ask your representatives to protect federal investments in informal STEM learning at these agencies so that you can continue to serve their constituents and the needs of your community. Cite the number of people you engage and the breadth of your reach within your community.
You can find additional details in this document on how STEM learning is being impacted by recent federal actions, additional background about how museums play a critical role in the STEM learning ecosystem, and details on specific federal programs you might want to highlight in your conversations.
Recent Executive Branch Actions
(the status is evolving and subject to change)
Many of our national priorities and challenges—from workforce development to AI, extreme weather to innovation—have science at their heart. Recent executive branch actions have already significantly impacted the STEM and informal STEM communities:
- STEM-focused efforts are under significant threat, primarily from substantial enacted and proposed cuts for the federal agencies that have traditionally supported STEM and STEM learning. For example, media reports cite the potential of eliminating half of the staff—and two-thirds of the budget—of the NSF.[1]
- The new Administration has issued a number of executive actions that target federal programs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion; environmental justice; gender equity; and more. Importantly, these actions seek to curtail federal funding immediately, even though the funded projects were legally awarded based upon the programs and review criteria in effect at the time.
- Specifically, many informal STEM learning and public engagement programs at NSF which include language on broadening the participation of women and underrepresented groups in science have been flagged for cuts despite these topics being Congressionally mandated considerations for NSF grantmaking since the 1990s. Although much of this executive action will be subject to litigation and judicial review, there has already been a pause on many funding streams and a chilling effect on the organizations—including science centers and museums—doing this work.
- In addition, the NIH has sought to cap indirect costs at 15%, far below the average negotiated indirect cost rate for most grantee organizations—and to make that change immediately effective for institutions of higher education.[2]
- Although the Administration’s budget request is not expected to be released until later this spring, all signs point to dramatic cuts to agencies across the federal government, including those that support informal STEM learning.
When you talk to elected officials, you can emphasize that current grants were legally awarded through long-established programs that were Congressionally authorized and appropriated, and that Congress should continue to ensure that its funding priorities are carried out by the agencies to support local communities and their constituents.
Additional Talking Points
Museums as Infrastructure
Museums are essential anchors in their communities, serving as trusted institutions that reflect community values, document culture, and play a unique role in educating, entertaining, and inspiring a diverse array of audiences. In addition, most museums operate facilities regularly open to the public, some among the largest venues in their communities.
There are many examples of museums serving their communities by hosting farmers markets or food distribution events, volunteering as disaster shelters, coordinating blood drives, acting as voting locations, and being a meaningful place where a community gathers.
Given this essential role museums play as community infrastructure, it is imperative that they be considered in the same way as other important infrastructure, such as schools, libraries, parks, and transportation.
In particular, we stress the need to make museums eligible for funding programs relative to infrastructure that are otherwise available to schools, libraries, and other nonprofit organizations. Museums share the need to upgrade their facilities to increase efficiency, reduce operating costs, leverage new technologies, and improve building health. Many museums have a long history of service to their communities, and it is not uncommon for them to occupy historic buildings built many decades ago—that have a need for updated systems.
In addition, museums are in an ideal position to be models for their communities. They are experts on effectively engaging their communities on complex topics—including on issues of science and technology—and in making those topics accessible to a wide range of audiences. As such, museums and other similar institutions are perfectly positioned to complement improvements to their physical infrastructure with public-facing education and experiences that provide a multiplying impact on government investment.
Museums as Research Institutions
Although not nearly as visible as public programs and exhibits, many museums contribute significantly to the nation’s research enterprise, advancing fundamental and applied knowledge in many disciplines. This includes significant efforts to collect, catalogue, and steward priceless research collections—and to make those collections available to researchers and the public.[3] In the realm of STEM, museums are among the organizations that hold collections of biological, geological, and cultural specimens and artefacts that they must maintain indefinitely. It’s not just about long-time storage, as these collections are increasingly called upon to inform not only historical research, but investigation of contemporary issues like earth science, biodiversity, and atmospheric history.
In addition, many museums are active participants in learning research, both by employing and engaging researchers and partnering with learning R&D organizations within their communities. Learning research that happens in museums contributes to the body of knowledge of education, including best practices, educator training and professional development, the creation of new curricula, and education standards themselves.
We encourage opportunities for ongoing support of research collections and ensuring that museums are eligible for research funding alongside other educational institutions and nonprofits.
Museums as STEM Educators
Note: In this brief, we use the term “lifelong STEM engagement” as it captures the diversity of museums’ STEM activities—it includes early STEM learning; PreK–12 STEM education, both formal and informal; family engagement in STEM; as well as adult learning, workforce preparation, and community dialogue and deliberation on scientific issues.
The nation has repeatedly stressed the importance of STEM education for people of all ages. As the landmark Call to Action for Science Education report argued, “Science is an essential tool for solving the greatest problems of our time and understanding the world around us”—and that “scientific thinking and understanding are essential for all people navigating the world, not just for scientists and other STEM professionals.”[4] Moreover, high-quality STEM education prepares people for the jobs of today and tomorrow, fostering economic development and the opportunity to address important national, local, and global priorities.
As organizations that provide a wide variety of out-of-school time STEM learning experiences, museums are an essential part of the nation’s education ecosystem. Museums—including science centers, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and other STEM-rich cultural institutions—must be thought of in the same breath as schools and school systems: they provide hands-on learning and professional development for educators, develop educational materials and curricula, offer field trips and other out-of-school activities that complement in-class learning, and provide afterschool and summer enrichment to welcome school students throughout the year.
We urge Congress and Federal agencies to include museums—and other similar nonprofit organizations that are part of the nation’s education ecosystem—when defining eligibility for funding and other programs available to schools and school systems. Moreover, we ask that Federal support managed by states—such as block grants—require those states to enable museums and other nonprofit organizations to be able to compete for competitive fundings and receive allocations.
STEM education and public engagement programs across the government provide an opportunity for the museum community to deepen connections with Federal agencies by working in partnership to build strong foundations for STEM literacy among all Americans; increase the participation of all people in STEM and provide all Americans with lifelong access to high-quality STEM education; and prepare the STEM workforce for the future. There are additional opportunities to expand funding and support for the museum community by growing relationships with Federal agencies who have a need to engage the public in consideration of scientific issues, including significant expansion beyond specific education and outreach-focused programs, offices, and divisions.
STEM Learning Request Details
As museums are key community infrastructure, ensuring Americans’ lifelong engagement in STEM and contributing to America’s leadership in scientific research, we urge Congress to protect and provide robust funding for a variety of programs that support lifelong STEM education and public engagement around many of the most important and urgent scientific issues.
In particular, we ask Congress to
- retain, authorize, and fund programs that enable museums to serve their community through STEM engagement and informal STEM education programs across Federal science agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, and Energy;
- this includes, but is not limited to, the NSF Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, NASA’s Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) and Science Activation programs, NOAA’s Environmental Literacy grants and Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grants; and NIH’s Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA);
- regard museums and other institutions engaged in informal STEM education as vital components of the STEM education ecosystem, including by ensuring that such organizations are eligible for relevant Federal funding opportunities and represented at appropriate conversations convened by Federal agencies;
- ensure that opportunities for public engagement are incorporated in agency research programs, especially those with significant public interest, and ensure that museums are eligible to compete for these awards;
- ensure that museums have the opportunity to compete for funds related to facilities improvement to address areas including public health, sustainability, and energy efficiency, including opportunities available to schools and other educational institutions;
- support the Department of Education in its efforts to support and promote STEM learning through multiple offices, including its interagency partnerships with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Park Service, NASA, and NOAA; and
- support IMLS in its priority areas of STEM and Making and its partnership with the Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers program.
Additional Talking Points
- Each year, hundreds of millions of people of all ages and backgrounds visit and/or participate in educational programming offered by museums, science centers, public gardens, zoos, aquariums, and other similar cultural institutions.[5]
- Many of these institutions are among the most visited cultural institutions within their community and region, providing jobs and economic development.
- Museums already act as a key piece of infrastructure in their communities, from contributing to the education ecosystem to providing essential services that support community well-being.
- Lifelong access to quality STEM education and learning opportunities prepares the workforce for careers of the future and informed civic decision-making; this is becoming even more important as the public is increasingly asked to consider scientific guidance and make personal decisions based upon scientific information.
- Museums spark interest and activate learning through educational exhibitions, thought-provoking collections, public dialogue and deliberations, and hands-on, experiential programming.
- Museums conduct research, collaborate with researchers, and maintain research collections that are vital to America’s scientific leadership.
- Today, museums partner with and receive funding from a variety of Federal agencies, contributing to agency missions to engage Americans in STEM, seed tomorrow’s workforce, and connect the public with current scientific research.
- Federal funding supports a wide variety of institutions, from rural nature centers to suburban museums to urban zoos and aquariums, and fulfills multiple goals, including:
- Evidence-based STEM engagement within the institution and out in the community—from programs in PreK–12 schools to partnerships with military installations and Native American reservations.
- Research on effective STEM learning in informal environments.
- Museum-based scientific research that makes major original contributions to the understanding of important issues, enriches exhibitions and programs, and engages students and the public in current research.
Background on Federal Agencies’ STEM Engagement Work
NSF: The Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) within the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) has been an important source of support for museums to research learning in informal education settings and has historically funded the development of innovative exhibitions, programs, and outreach models. NSF’s support for informal science education dates back more than 50 years. Relevant programs within EHR/DRL include Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL), Discovery Research PreK–12 (DRK12), Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST), and more.
The NSF Directorates for Biological Sciences, Geosciences, and Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences have all supported museums in the areas of field and collections-based research, collections improvements and digitization, database development, and educational programming, such as those in the Biological Collections Programmatic Area. The new Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, given its focus on use-inspired and translational science, is significantly grounded in the intersection of science and society, including a variety of opportunities for public engagement with science.
We also call attention to cross-organization programs such as the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, which allows museums to involve undergraduate college students in field and laboratory research.
Finally, the Congressionally-mandated broader impacts criterion for all NSF awards requires consideration of the benefits to society, including in areas of education and science engagement.
NASA: Since 2008, the Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) program[6] within NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement and the Science Activation program within the Science Mission Directorate’s Science Engagement and Partnerships Division directly support museums and museum networks.
In addition, the Museum & Informal Education Alliance offers an important community of practice that provides informal educators—including those in museums—with access to NASA resources.
NOAA: Two programs within NOAA’s Office of Education—the Environmental Literacy Program and Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program—help zoos, aquariums, science centers, and museums bring real world examples of science to students nationwide. Other NOAA offices support community outreach, public engagement, and citizen science initiatives and programs.
NIH: Since it was established in 1991, the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program has helped build relationships between the biomedical research community and educational organizations—including museums—that improve life science literacy. In addition, there is growing awareness of the importance of public engagement as a core aspect of several major initiatives that intersect with societal interests and public concerns, such as the BRAIN Initiative and the All of Us Research Program.
Other Federal Agencies: The Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Agriculture are among the other agencies that have STEM workforce development programs and which could benefit from strengthening public engagement in science that could be expanded in collaboration with museums.
Funding History of Select Informal STEM Programs:
Fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations have not yet been completed with the federal budget operating on a Continuing Resolution only through March 14. At this point, it is unclear whether FY 2024 levels will be maintained for the remainder of FY 2025 (such as through a year-long Continuing Resolution) or if Congress will pass budget bills.
Based upon statements by the Administration and media reports, we expect that the FY 2026 budget proposed by the Administration will include dramatic cuts to discretionary domestic agencies and programs, including those which support informal STEM learning.
Amounts in the table below[7] are in millions.
* No less than.
** Environmental Leadership Grants were not called out explicitly in FY 17–21 or FY 24; budget provided for those years is for the Education Program Base, which includes ELGs.
*** The NIH SEPA program has not been called out explicitly in the Conference Report for the past several years.
Footnotes
[1] Mervis, J. “’My boss was crying.’ NSF confronts potentially massive layoffs and budget cuts.” Science, February 7, 2025.
[2] National Institutes of Health. “Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates” (NOT-OD-25-068), issued February 7, 2025.
[3] For example, 30% of science centers and museums in the United States responding to the ASTC Annual Statistics Survey report holding research collections or archives.
[4] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2021). Call to Action for Science Education: Building Opportunity for the Future. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26152.
[5] See, for example, the 2019 report, Encountering Science in America, from the American Academy of Arts and Science: www.amacad.org/publication/encountering-science
[6] TEAM II was formerly known as the Competitive Program for Science Museums, Planetariums, and NASA Visitor Centers (CP4SMPVC).
[7] Primary source of budget numbers: www.aip.org/fyi/federal-science-budget-tracker