Several members of a federal board that oversees the government's main basic science funding agency were removed without warning this weekend by President Trump. Scientists on the National Science Board, which helps direct the National Science Foundation's roughly $9 billion in annual basic research spending, received emailed notices Friday from the Presidential Personnel Office stating that their appointments were "terminated, effective immediately," according to screenshots shared with the Washington Post. The messages, sent "on behalf of President Donald J. Trump," did not give a reason.
The board, created in 1950, functions similarly to a corporate board, setting policy and approving major projects for an agency that supports university research, operates Antarctic stations, telescopes, and research vessels, and has backed technologies used in MRIs, cellphones, and LASIK, as well as companies such as Duolingo. Members, typically 25 scientists and engineers from academia and industry, are presidential appointees but serve staggered six-year terms designed to span administrations. Several seats were already unfilled, including that of the foundation's director. Board member Keivan Stassun of Vanderbilt University said he had direct confirmation that about one-third of the board was dismissed.
The top Democrat on the House Science Committee ripped the dismissals in a press release. "This is the latest stupid move made by a president who continues to harm science and American innovation," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, adding, "Will the president fill the NSB with MAGA loyalists who won't stand up to him as he hands over our leadership in science to our adversaries?" Some members questioned whether the timing was tied to the board's role in defending the foundation's mission to Congress after Trump proposed cuts. Trump's budget request last year sought a 55% reduction in the agency's funding, which lawmakers rejected; his fiscal 2027 proposal also calls for a sharp decrease.
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