| Post | NASA Chief Scientist |
|---|---|
| Insignia | File:NASA logo (2023 colors).svg |
| Status | Position abolished |
| Appointer | NASA Administrator |
| Reports to | NASA Administrator |
| Formation | 1982 |
| First | Frank B. McDonald |
| Last | Katherine Calvin |
| Abolished | March 10, 2025 |
Chief Scientist is the most senior science position at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The chief scientist serves as the principal advisor to the NASA Administrator in science issues and as interface to the national and international science community, ensuring that NASA research programs are scientifically and technologically well founded and are appropriate for their intended applications.[1]
History
The Chief Scientist position was created to advise the NASA Administrator on budget, strategic objectives, and current content of NASA's science programs. The Chief Scientist works closely with appropriate representatives of the NASA Strategic Enterprises and the Field Centers, as well as advisory committees and the external community. The Chief Scientist represents the agency's scientific objectives and accomplishments to other federal agencies, industry, academia, other government organizations, the international community, and the general public.[1]
The chief scientist chairs the NASA Science Council, a forum for discussion of the agency policies, practices, and issues from the viewpoint of the science disciplines.[2]
The NASA chief scientist position was discontinued in September 2005 and many of the functions moved to be within the Science Mission Directorate (SMD).
The position was restored in 2011[3] and was eliminated for a second time in 2025.[4]
List of chief scientists
The following is a list of NASA chief scientists. All officeholders have earned multiple masters and doctoral degrees in a hard science or engineering.[5]
| No. | Image | Name | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank B. McDonald | 1982 | 1987 | [6] | |
| 2 | Noel Hinners | 1987 | 1989 | [7][8][9][10] | |
| 3 | France A. Córdova | 1993 | 1996 | [11] | |
| 4 | Kathie L. Olsen | May 24, 1999 | April 2002 | [12][13] | |
| 5 | Shannon Lucid | February 2002 | September 2003 | [14][15] | |
| 6 | John M. Grunsfeld | September 2003 | October 20, 2004 | [16][17] | |
| 7 | James B. Garvin | October 21, 2004 | September 2005 | [17][18] | |
| Position was eliminated in September 2005[19] but was restored in January 2011 | |||||
| 8 | Waleed Abdalati | January 3, 2011 | December 2012 | [3][20] | |
| acting | Gale Allen | December 2012 | August 24, 2013 | [21] | |
| 9 | Ellen Stofan | August 25, 2013 | December 2016 | [22][23] | |
| acting | Gale Allen | December 2016 | April 30, 2018 | [24] | |
| 10 | Jim Green | May 1, 2018 | December 31, 2021 | [25][26] | |
| 11 | Katherine Calvin | January 10, 2022 | March 11, 2025 | [26][4] | |
| Position was eliminated in March 2025.[4] | |||||
References
- ^ NASA.gov
- ^ NASA.gov
- ^ "NASA - Dr. Waleed Abdalati, NASA Chief Scientist". NASA. Archived 2011-10-19 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2011-05-16.
- ^ "NASA fires climate researcher Katherine Calvin, the agency's chief scientist". 2025-03-11. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
- ^ "Chief Scientist History". NASA.
- ^ "Voyager Space Science Update Panelists". Goddard News. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. November 5, 2003. Archived 2006-10-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
- ^ "Noel Hinners, Former NASA Scientist, Dies at 78 - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ "Noel Hinners - NASA Watch". NASAWatch.com. September 6, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ Vitello, Paul (September 11, 2014). "Noel W. Hinners, Voice for Scientific Research at NASA, Dies at 78". The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ Weil, Martin (September 9, 2014). "Noel Hinners, a top NASA official, dies at 78". Retrieved January 9, 2018. – via www.WashingtonPost.com.
- ^ "NASA Technical Reports Server". Ntrs.nasa.gov. 2007-07-05. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
- ^ "Kathie L. Olsen Selected As Nasa Chief Scientist | Nasa | Find Articles At Bnet". Findarticles.com. 1999-05-19. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
- ^ ":: NASA Quest > Women of NASA ::". Quest.arc.nasa.gov. 1999-05-24. Archived from the original on 2001-08-28. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
- ^ "Chief Scientist History - NASA". Archived 2024-03-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "NASA Biographical Data - SHANNON W. LUCID". nasa.gov. Archived 2024-03-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "NASA - Chief Scientist John M. Grunsfeld". Nasa.gov. 2007-11-22. Archived 2004-10-31 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
- ^ Cowing, Keith (October 21, 2004). "New NASA Chief Scientist". NASA Watch
- ^ "NASA - Dr. James B. Garvin Chief Scientist". NASA. Archived 2006-10-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
- ^ "News in brief". Nature. 437 (7059): 608–609. September 28, 2005. Bibcode:2005Natur.437..608.. doi:10.1038/437608a
- ^ "NASA Names Waleed Abdalati as Agency's New Chief Scientist". NASA. December 13, 2010. – via PR Newswire
- ^ Cowing, Keith (December 26, 2012). "NASA's Chief Scientist is Departing". NASA Watch
- ^ Beutel, Allard (July 29, 2013). "NASA Welcomes New Chief Scientist". NASA. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (December 29, 2016). "NASA's chief scientist departs". SpaceNews
- ^ "ASGSR Announces Dr. Gale Allen, Former NASA Deputy Chief Scientist, as Executive Director". SpaceNews. April 11, 2018.
- ^ "NASA Announces New Chief Scientist". NASA. April 10, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ "NASA Announces New Chief Scientist, Senior Climate Advisor". NASA. January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.