Office of Inspector General

What this funds

Request Start of Year End of Year $0.09 Estimates ' Purpose: Funds are expected to be used for (1) travel expenses to Antarctica because the austral summer crosses fiscal years, to address allegations of sexual assault, stalking, other crimes related to the Special Maritime Territorial Jurisdiction, and to conduct risk- based audits of Antarctic operations; and (2) to procure performance audit services. The selection of awards and institutions to be audited requires careful preparation and is subject to changing circumstances and new information that may require ' Obligation: Anticipated FY 2026 Quarters 1, 3 and 4. The OIG's Office of Audits, Inspections, and Evaluations (OAIE) conducts transparent, accountable, objective oversight of NSF's programs, operations, financial performance, business policies and practices, and NSF-funded grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. Oversight can include reviews to help ensure that financial, administrative, and programmatic activities are carried out efficiently, effectively, economically, and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. OAIE also responds to congressional requests, suggestions from the National Science Board, and reviews hotline complaints to build a comprehensive oversight program. Much of the OAIE's work is statutorily mandated, including an annual financial statement audit required by the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and an annual information security program audit required by the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014. In FY 2027, the OAIE must also review NSF's FY 2026 Agency Financial Report for compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 and conduct a triennial risk assessment of the National Science Board's compliance with the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976, as required by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. In addition, the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 requires OAIE to perform a compliance review of NSF's Recognized Statistical Agency or Unit for the first time in FY 2027. The Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 requires Inspectors General to conduct periodic risk assessments of their agency's purchase card program, which we will conduct in fiscal year 2027. The OAIE must also evaluate the reliability of Single Audits as required by the Uniform Areas of Risk for Potential Audit Coverage in FY 2027 OAIE fulfills its statutory mandate to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness through a risk- based oversight approach that identifies the highest priority areas that would benefit from OIG oversight. This approach guides the development of the remainder of OAIE's oversight portfolio. At the FY 2027 Budget Request level, OAIE will be able to conduct a few oversight projects in the high- risk areas identified below, as well as in other areas that may emerge during the year. NSF's and Award Recipients' Compliance with Research Security Requirements NSF and award recipients must comply with numerous requirements designed to protect federally supported research and development against foreign government exploitation. For example, the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 enacted research security requirements that are applicable to both NSF and its award recipients. Additionally, National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33) requires research organizations with more than $50.0 million per year in total federal research funding to have a research security program in place. By July 2026, institutions should have implemented a research security program and formally certified implementation and compliance with NSF. OAIE plans to build on existing research security-related oversight efforts and assess NSF's and its award recipients' compliance with applicable requirements. NSF's Re-competition and Management of the Antarctic Support Contract NSF provides logistical support for the U.S. Antarctic Program through the Antarctic Support Contract (ASC) and other agreements. The ASC, NSF's largest contract, was awarded in 2011, is valued at $3.04 billion, and is set to expire in September 2026. Managing this contract is complex and requires robust cost monitoring, effective oversight of deliverables and deadlines, and careful risk management. In May 2025, NSF issued a request for proposals for the next U.S. Antarctic Program support contract. The Antarctic Science and Engineering Support Contract (ASESC) will be a single-award, indefinite- delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with a 20-year period of performance and an $8 billion ceiling. The transition to a new support contract presents an opportunity for NSF to strengthen the U.S. Antarctic Program by identifying weaknesses in the ASC and addressing them in the ASESC. OAIE is conducting a series of audits related to the current ASC, the transition to the new contract, and NSF's FISMA requires federal agencies to develop systems to ensure the security of electronic data. Annually, the OAIE examines a selection of NSF's electronic data controls through the FISMA audit. The FISMA audit may identify other high-risk areas within NSF's information technology systems that may warrant additional review. Also, OAIE will continue to develop audit capacity to conduct oversight of artificial intelligence and critical information technology infrastructure. Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) NSF created the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate, authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, to spur use-inspired research and development, to rapidly bring new FY 2027 Budget Request to Congress technologies to market, and address major economic and social challenges. OAIE conducts ongoing monitoring and oversight of the early lifecycle of TIP's project portfolio, including TIP's flagship Regional Innovation Engines Program. The goal of the Engines Program is to promote economic growth in regions that have not fully participated in past technological development. Each award recipient, known as an Engine, can receive up to $160.0 million for up to 10 years (Type-2 awards) with a possible two years' funding for planning (Type-1 awards). NSF has established nine Engines throughout the country and is in the process of reviewing proposals for the second generation of Engines. OAIE plans to review policies and procedures for the operation and implementation of the Engines program, the early-stage management of the initial Type-2 awards, and the progress of the Advancing the field of artificial intelli

Extracted from National Science Foundation, p. 23. Verbatim; nothing here is paraphrased.

Contracts funded by this line

33 linked contracts. These are obligations — lifetime awarded money — and they are not comparable to the request above and are never added to it. No total is shown: an award linked to several lines is counted in full on each, so the sum would not be a fact.

Showing 8 of 33 — most confidently matched first, largest within a confidence tier. These are not necessarily the largest 8.

Confidence mix · 33 certain

Linked contracts are a floor, not a census. Coverage is bounded by how distinctively a program is named and, for performer links, to RDT&E and Procurement — O&M and military construction publish no performers. Budget figures are FY2027 request dollars; contract figures are obligations. The two measure different things and must never be summed together.

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Answers come from the figures on this page and nothing else. These dollars are parsed from National Science Foundation's Congressional Justification and are approximate — confirm anything that matters against the cited page.