National Science Board leadership transition

Chair Darío Gil steps down from board as he awaits final confirmation for new role as Under Secretary for Science

Today is National Science Board Chair Darío Gil's last day on the board; he has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy. The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held Gil's confirmation hearing on April 10.  

President Trump appointed Darío Gil to the National Science Board in 2020. During his service on the board, Gil chaired the Committee on External Engagement, leading the board's engagement strategy and initiatives. He also chaired the subcommittee on Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), which worked with the U.S. National Science Foundation to launch the agency's new directorate.

Over the last year, as the National Science Board's first industry leader in 30 years, Chair Gil championed the NSB's call for new, multi-sectoral partnerships and strategies for the U.S. science and engineering enterprise. In his  inaugural address as NSB Chair in July 2024, Gil made the case for new ideas and approaches and through his leadership, the board has been engaging with industry, philanthropic, academic, government, state and other leaders to develop ideas, such as a new "National Defense Education Act" to meet the nation's STEM workforce needs in critical areas.

NSB Vice Chair Victor McCrary will serve as acting chair until the board elects its new leadership. McCrary is Vice President for Research and Professor of Chemistry at the University of the District of Columbia. As vice chair, McCrary regularly engages with a multitude of science and engineering communities, the national security sector, congressional offices and federal agency leaders. During his first six years on the board, McCrary led the effort to recognize the nondegree STEM workforce, resulting in the board's report, The Skilled Technical Workforce: Crafting America's Science and Engineering Enterprise.

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Media Contact Nadine Lymn, National Science Board, (703) 292-2490, nlymn@nsf.gov