The American Association for the Advancement of Science urged the Senate to hold an open confirmation hearing for the proposed NSF director, Jim O’Neill, after the agency has remained without a Senate-confirmed leader since last April. In a letter, AAAS CEO Sudip S. Parikh argued that NSF’s next leader is critical amid AI-driven research disruption and intensified global competition. The AAAS letter points to reported concerns about O’Neill’s background, including lack of an advanced science degree and experience running a large basic-research enterprise. It requests greater scrutiny of his vision for NSF’s role in funding basic research and enabling next-generation discovery. A White House spokesperson defended the nominee, characterizing criticisms as misinformed and pointing to venture-capital experience in identifying and financing technologies. The dispute keeps NSF leadership uncertainty in focus at the same time that institutions are planning research investments and grant strategies. For higher education, the stakes are immediate: leadership changes at NSF affect the flow of basic research dollars, the stability of research agendas, and the planning horizon for faculty-driven proposals.