Trump Fires Board Overseeing DEI-iddled National Science Foundation

Trump Fires Board Overseeing DEI-iddled National Science Foundation

The Trump administration has removed the entire board of independent overseers for the National Science Foundation (NSF), CBS News reports. The decision, announced Friday, eliminated all 22 members of the board, which had planned to meet next week.

“I wasn’t entirely surprised, to be honest,” said one dismissed board member in an email.

Another dismissed board member noted the vast changes the Trump administration hopes to accomplish regarding the move.

“I think this is one more indication of the sweeping changes that the administration has in mind for the NSF.”

The board members were released via an email from the Presidential Personnel Office which noted that “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump,” their positions were to be terminated, “effective immediately.”

Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell, the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued a statement condemning the move and describing it as a “dangerous attack” on American innovation.

“The abrupt termination of members of the National Science Board represents a dangerous attack on the institutions and expertise that drive American innovation and discovery,” stated Sen. Cantwell.

“This action, combined with the administration’s devastating proposed budget cuts to the National Science Foundation, signals a reckless disregard for the scientific enterprise and the universities and broader innovation ecosystem that anchor our nation’s competitiveness.”

The NSF has faced scrutiny over its grant-making priorities, including programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in federally funded research. The bias in the NSF came to light during the Biden administration, when an investigation led by Sen. Ted Cruz revealed that approximately 27%, or $2 billion, of the foundation’s grants went to DEI projects.

CriticalRace.org has documented instances of National Science Foundation (NSF) grants supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. One example cited is the NSF-funded “Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation,” which focuses on increasing participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields.

For example, in 2024, Pittsburgh State University announced that it had received a $443,000 grant from the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation that would “support undergraduate student researchers belonging to underrepresented populations in their path to earning a degree in a STEM discipline.”

In January 2025, the Equal Protection Project filed a civil rights complaint against several universities associated with the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation, alleging that the nature of its programs constitutes racial discrimination.

“[T]he application itself limits applicants to ‘Underrepresented Minorities,’ which includes only ‘African American, Hispanic American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Native Pacific Islander, or two or more from the list,’” states the complaint.

“A reasonable student who did not fit one of these racial or ethnic groups likely would not apply due to the racial and ethnic barriers.”

As the Trump administration continues to scale back federal funding for DEI-related programs, the future direction of the National Science Foundation remains uncertain, with a potential reorganization on the horizon.

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