Read on Twitter
IMHO @NSF is stuck in a hard place with outsiders wanting to change the focus from #basic to #applied public-private #research etc, serving #academic community with ever-shrinking budgets. They just can't win. 1/n https://twitter.com/NSF/status/1288082834574409728
If you've been paying attention to big programs @NSF has recently put forth, this statement/focus is not a surprise. The text represents alignment with these programs. The selection process has probably not changed, but worth asking further. 2/n
Finally, I've seen a lot of criticism about students from mostly R1s/Ivory getting @NSFGRFP. Did you know that selection is also geographically based, w quotas for each state? Students are selected based on their high school zip codes NOT where they're currently enrolled. 
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Here's a more in-depth explanation: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/02/how-congress-could-reverse-cuts-trump-s-budget-request-nsf
I personally struggle with the outrage focused on @NSF. You should be outraged that @NSF budgets are so paltry given other federal expenditures in R&D. Fig from link. <rant over> https://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/2019-01/AAAS%20R%26D%20Primer%202019.pdf
STOP FIGHTING OVER THE CRUMBS WHEN WE NEED A BIGGER PIECE OF THE PIE!!! <I promise, now my rant is over. Back to writing my @NSF proposal> 
