President Donald Trump sent two names to the Senate on Monday for his picks to lead the National Science Foundation (NSF) and fill the role of ambassador at large for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP) at the State Department.
Trump nominated Adam Cassady as ambassador at large and James “Jim” O’Neill as NSF director.
Cassady currently serves as the principal deputy assistant secretary and deputy administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), where he supports the development and implementation of telecommunications and information policies.
Before joining NTIA, Cassady worked at the Federal Communications Commission for more than four years, serving as a chief of staff and senior legal advisor for Commissioner Nathan Simington. In that capacity, he managed “a variety of telecommunications and technology portfolios,” according to his NTIA biography.
If confirmed as ambassador at large, Cassady would be responsible for leading CDP. He would also be the second person to hold the role after Nathaniel Fick established the position in 2022.
Fick left his role at CDP in January 2025, and the role has since been vacant.
In a statement, NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth congratulated Cassady and said that he has “been a phenomenal Deputy Administrator at NTIA, providing effective, strategic leadership across spectrum, broadband, digital policy, and commercial space.”
“He has been a tireless champion of America First technology leadership … ensuring the United States strengthens its competitive edge and protects its interests. At a pivotal moment for global technology governance, he is the right choice to represent American strength and leadership on the world stage,” she said.
O’Neill, Trump’s nominee for NSF, would be stepping into a position that has remained vacant for nearly 10 months since Sethuraman Panchanathan resigned in late April after leading the agency for five years.
Since then, NSF Chief of Staff Brian Stone has fulfilled the duties of director until Trump nominated a replacement.
O’Neill served as deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) starting in June 2025 and later served as acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention until February 2026.
O’Neill has served in government before, including in the Bush administration between 2002 – 2008. Unlike past NSF directors though, he does not hold an advanced scientific or technical degree, such as a Ph.D. He is a longtime investor in science and technology.
After the Bush administration, O’Neill held a series of senior leadership and investment roles across billionaire Peter Thiel–associated firms and initiatives before serving from 2012 to 2019 as managing director of Mithril Capital Management, a Thiel co-founded venture fund.
O’Neill would take charge of NSF during some turbulence. The agency has recently undergone workforce changes and research funding has received significant cuts. However, NSF is also spearheading major artificial intelligence initiatives, which have been a priority under the Trump administration.