The White House on Monday announced that President Donald Trump nominated Jim O’Neill, most recently deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, to serve as director of the National Science Foundation for a six-year term.
O’Neill’s nomination at NSF comes after recent leadership changes at HHS, where he served as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while also serving as deputy secretary.
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Why Is the NSF Director Position Open?
The position has been vacant for nearly 10 months following the resignation of former NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan in April 2025 after five years at the helm of the agency. Since his departure, NSF Chief of Staff Brian Stone has been performing the duties of director.
If confirmed by the Senate, O’Neill would lead the independent federal agency that funds basic research and education in science and engineering across the U.S.
Who Is Jim O’Neill?
O’Neill took oath as deputy secretary of HHS in June 2025 after the Senate confirmed him to the role in a 52-43 vote. Shortly afterward, he assumed additional responsibilities as acting director of CDC.
Before joining HHS leadership, O’Neill served as CEO of the SENS Research Foundation, where he led research and development efforts focused on regenerative medicine solutions for cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and other age-related diseases.
He served as CEO of the Thiel Foundation and co-founded the Thiel Fellowship, where he supported young entrepreneurs who founded science and tech companies.
According to his LinkedIn profile, the Yale University graduate was managing director at Mithril Capital Management and Clarium Capital Management.
O’Neill also held leadership roles at HHS during President George W. Bush’s administration, including principal associate deputy secretary, member of the steering committee for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and associate deputy secretary.
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