NASA Chief Scientist

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]

Katherine Calvin
Dr. Katherine Calvin
NASA Chief Scientist
Appointed
Assumed office 2022
Preceded by	Jim Green

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]

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.^[4]

No.	Image	Name	Term	Notes
1		Frank B. McDonald	1982–1987	[5]
2		Noel Hinners	1987–1989	[6][7][8][9]
3		France A. Córdova	1993–1996	[10]
4		Kathie L. Olsen	May 24, 1999–April 2002	[11][12]
5		Shannon Lucid	February 2002–September 2003	[13][14]
6		John M. Grunsfeld	September 2003–October 20, 2004	[15][16]
7		James B. Garvin	October 21, 2004–September 2005	[16][17]
Position was eliminated in September 2005[18] but was restored in January 2011
8		Waleed Abdalati	January 3, 2011 to December 2012	[3][19]
–		Gale Allen	December 2012–August 24, 2013
9		Ellen Stofan	August 25, 2013–December 2016	[20][21]
–		Gale Allen	December 2016–April 30, 2018	[22]
10		Jim Green	May 1, 2018 – December 31, 2021	[23][24]
11		Katherine Calvin	January 10, 2022 – March 2025	[24][25]