NASA ADS/SciX Needs Your Support

NASA's critical research infrastructure connecting the global space and Earth science ecosystem faces budget cuts that threaten mission data discovery and research collaboration worldwide.

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Why ADS/SciX Matters

Hear directly from researchers about how NASA's ADS/SciX has transformed their work and why continued funding is critical for the global scientific community.

Critical Budget Threat

60% Reduction in Funds
40% Anticipated Loss of Staff Critical to Maintaining Operations
50K+ Regular Users Worldwide
40M+ Annual Public Visits

The President's FY2026 Budget Request to Congress reduces funding to the Smithsonian's Astrophysical Observatory's Astrophysics Data System (ADS) and eliminates SAO's Science Explorer (SciX). For over three decades, ADS has helped the astrophysics research community access research articles and datasets, find collaborators, and better understand the impact of their work.

The sunsetting of ADS/SciX could cede the country's global leadership in space and astronomy research, impacting universities and research centers around the world. This system enables discovery and reuse of NASA mission and research outputs across all Earth and space sciences.

ADS/SciX Usage Across the United States

ADS Usage (sessions) by state (January - July 2025)

About ADS/SciX

The Astrophysics Data System (ADS) is a literature-based, open information system that has been used by researchers for over 30 years to keep up with research in astronomy and astrophysics.

The Science Explorer (SciX) represents the expansion of the Astrophysics Data System to all NASA-funded research areas in the Earth and space sciences. In addition to its bibliographic corpus of over 30M records, SciX includes research datasets and software, tracks their citations and usage, and provides unique search and evaluation capabilities.

Research areas and terms covered by ADS/SciX

What We Stand to Lose

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Expert Literature Curation

Expert curation and publisher partnerships providing full-text access for enhanced discovery across Earth and space sciences.

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NASA Ecosystem Hub

ADS/SciX connects the full NASA space and Earth science ecosystem, linking mission data, research outputs, and software across all NASA science divisions and global partnerships.

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Mission Data Discovery

Critical infrastructure for discovering and accessing data from NASA missions like Hubble, Webb, Kepler, TESS, and Earth observation satellites, maximizing scientific return on investment.

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Government Research ROI

Enables discoverability of taxpayer-funded research outputs from NASA, NSF, DoE, and international agencies, ensuring maximum scientific and societal impact from public investments.

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Global Science Network

Serves 47 million users worldwide, connecting researchers across institutions and nations. Loss of the ambassador program expansion would severely impact global outreach and training.

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Community Resources

Comprehensive video tutorials and community content showcasing how SciX serves researchers across disciplines.

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Learn More

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What I Wish I Knew About ADS/SciX During My PhD

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SciX Earth Science Literature Review

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SciX Ambassador Workshop

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SciX Advisory Board
View All Blog Posts

What Leaders in Science Say

ADS is essential to the work of astronomers around the world today. But it is more than a tool of the present — it is an investment in the future of science. We must ensure it continues to serve the next generation of discovery.
Prof. Michel Mayor
Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2019
ADS is an essential research tool that underpins U.S. space science, education, and global competitiveness. I've seen its value firsthand at NASA and in the classroom—and continued funding is a smart, strategic investment in space science and exploration, both in the US and beyond.
Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen
Associate Administrator, NASA Science Mission Directorate 2016-2022, Professor, Innovator, and Board Member

ADS/SciX Products at Risk

Enhanced Search Relevance

Domain expertise enabling discovery of the most relevant content for Earth and space science researchers.

  • Cross-domain search improvements
  • Better relevance scoring
  • Faster, more accurate results

Entity Recognition API

Automatic identification and linking of scientific entities in literature.

  • Software and data discovery
  • Author and institution linking
  • Enriching metadata with scientific object, concept, location, and temporal information

Natural Language Query Translation

Convert plain English questions into precise search queries.

  • Intuitive search interface
  • Reduced learning curve
  • More accessible to new researchers

Advanced Embeddings Service

Replace Similar() operator with faster, more nuanced similarity detection.

  • Similar author lists and methods
  • Introduction and methodology matching
  • Faster exploration of related work

Article Summarization

AI-powered summaries of scientific articles for quick comprehension.

  • Key findings extraction
  • Methodology overview
  • Time-saving research tools

Smart Recommendations

Personalized suggestions for relevant articles and resources.

  • Related article discovery
  • Cross-reference suggestions
  • Research pathway guidance

How You Can Help

Individuals

  • Share your ADS/SciX success story
  • Contact your congressional representative
  • Spread awareness on social media
  • Join the research community advocacy
Share Your Story

Institutions & Journals

  • Sign institutional support letters
  • Document ADS/SciX usage statistics
  • Advocate through professional societies
  • Contact funding agencies directly
Get Involved

Share Your ADS/SciX Story

Your experiences with ADS/SciX help demonstrate its vital importance to the scientific community. Share how ADS/SciX has supported your research, education, or career.

Share Your Impact Story

Help us demonstrate the vital importance of ADS/SciX to the scientific community by sharing your experiences and how these systems have supported your research, education, or career.

What to Include:

  • Your name and institution
  • Research area or field
  • How ADS/SciX has helped your work
  • Impact on your research or career
  • Permission to use your testimonial
Submit Testimonial Form

Questions? Contact us at SaveADSSciX@gmail.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is ADS/SciX funding being cut?

Budget constraints at NASA have led to difficult decisions about which programs to prioritize. While ADS/SciX serves the global research community, it faces competition with other NASA initiatives for limited funding resources.

What happens if funding is lost?

Without adequate funding, the NASA ecosystem loses its primary research connectivity hub. Mission data discovery becomes fragmented, government research outputs lose visibility, and the $15+ billion invested annually in NASA science missions sees diminished returns. International collaborations suffer as researchers lose access to comprehensive cross-mission datasets and literature integration.

How can universities help?

Universities can document their institutional usage of ADS/SciX, provide testimonials about its importance to research and education, and engage with their congressional representatives and NASA leadership to advocate for continued funding.

What is the timeline for these cuts?

The cuts will be in place and the system will be in jeopardy starting FY26 in February. Immediate advocacy is crucial to influence upcoming budget cycles and prevent service disruptions.

Are there alternative funding sources?

While NASA funding is the primary source, the ADS/SciX team is exploring partnerships with international agencies, academic institutions, and professional societies to supplement funding and ensure long-term sustainability.

Does ADS/SciX only make NASA research discoverable?

No. ADS/SciX indexes and connects literature relevant to researchers in the Earth and Space Sciences globally, extending far beyond NASA. The system has many global partners and stakeholders, serving the international scientific community by providing access to research from agencies worldwide including ESA, JAXA, CSA, and many national and international research institutions.