Trump fires independent board overseeing National Science Foundation

Key Points:

• The Trump administration has abruptly terminated all members of the National Science Board (NSB), an independent advisory board for the National Science Foundation (NSF), effective immediately.
• The NSB, composed of 25 presidential appointees serving staggered six-year terms, advises on science policy, approves funding, and guides NSF’s future; the current 22 members, experts from academia and industry, were all dismissed.
• Board members expressed disappointment and concern that the firings signal sweeping changes at NSF, potentially facilitating budget cuts and weakening support for fundamental research and scientific training.
• Critics, including Senator Maria Cantwell, called the move a dangerous attack on American innovation, while the White House stated the board’s powers may need updating but affirmed NSF operations continue uninterrupted.
• The administration previously attempted to slash NSF’s $9 billion budget by more than half, and with the board removed, similar funding cuts may be easier to implement; NSF headquarters was also relocated to a smaller building last year.