NASA Chief Scientist

NASA Chief Scientist
Last officeholder Dr. Katherine Calvin in 2022
Status	Position abolished
Reports to	NASA Administrator
Appointer	NASA Administrator
Formation	1982
First holder	Frank B. McDonald
Final holder	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

1. NASA.gov
2. NASA.gov
3. "NASA - Dr. Waleed Abdalati, NASA Chief Scientist". NASA. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
4. "NASA fires climate researcher Katherine Calvin, the agency's chief scientist". March 11, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
5. "Chief Scientist History". NASA.
6. "Voyager Space Science Update Panelists". Goddard News. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. November 5, 2003. Archived from the original on October 10, 2006. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
7. "Noel Hinners, Former NASA Scientist, Dies at 78 - NYTimes.com". The New York Times . Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
8. "Noel Hinners - NASA Watch". NASAWatch.com. September 6, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
9. 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.
10. Weil, Martin (September 9, 2014). "Noel Hinners, a top NASA official, dies at 78" . Retrieved January 9, 2018– via www.WashingtonPost.com.
11. "NASA Technical Reports Server". Ntrs.nasa.gov. July 5, 2007. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
12. "Kathie L. Olsen Selected As Nasa Chief Scientist | Nasa | Find Articles At Bnet". Findarticles.com. May 19, 1999. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
13. ":: NASA Quest > Women of NASA ::". Quest.arc.nasa.gov. May 24, 1999. Archived from the original on August 28, 2001. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
14. "Chief Scientist History - NASA". Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
15. "NASA Biographical Data - SHANNON W. LUCID" (PDF). nasa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
16. "NASA - Chief Scientist John M. Grunsfeld". Nasa.gov. November 22, 2007. Archived from the original on October 31, 2004. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
17. Cowing, Keith (October 21, 2004). "New NASA Chief Scientist". NASA Watch.
18. "NASA - Dr. James B. Garvin Chief Scientist". NASA. Archived from the original on October 13, 2006. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
19. "News in brief" . Nature . 437 (7059): 608–609. September 28, 2005. Bibcode:2005Natur.437..608.. doi:10.1038/437608a.
20. "NASA Names Waleed Abdalati as Agency's New Chief Scientist". NASA (Press release). December 13, 2010 – via PR Newswire.
21. Cowing, Keith (December 26, 2012). "NASA's Chief Scientist is Departing". NASA Watch.
22. Beutel, Allard (July 29, 2013). "NASA Welcomes New Chief Scientist". NASA. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
23. Foust, Jeff (December 29, 2016). "NASA's chief scientist departs". SpaceNews .
24. "ASGSR Announces Dr. Gale Allen, Former NASA Deputy Chief Scientist, as Executive Director". SpaceNews . April 11, 2018.
25. "NASA Announces New Chief Scientist". NASA. April 10, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
26. "NASA Announces New Chief Scientist, Senior Climate Advisor". NASA. January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.