Trump Fires Board Overseeing DEI-Riddled National Science Foundation
The NSF has faced scrutiny over its grant-making priorities, including programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in federally funded research.
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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Comments
I love how Trump thinks he’s the one making these decisions when we all know these kinds of decisions can only be made by Democrat District Judges.
What do we need in order to dissolve this anti-science abomination in its entirety?
Keep voting for Maga candidates.
I’m sure Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, etc., etc. would be surprised that their innovations required the blessing of the NSF.
If the NSF is so bloody important, let the left fund it out of their own pockets.
It’s downright amazing that any American scientific, engineering, technological and entrepreneurial innovation was ever achieved, before the forming of the NSF.
The left would like to fund it, but can’t, because as they predicted, civilization ended when tax dollars stopped going to NPR and PBS.
Good. Now do the Secret Service directors.
There is nothing wrong in principal with having a NSF and having it make grants. The amount of money involved is modest or should be, However the grants should be made only to real science fields, not made up or pseudo science and should be made based on the merits of the proposal and submitter and not on their identity. Politics should never be involved or at least not involved much considering humans are making the grant decisions,
It’s the government. There will always be political considerations.
There will always be political considerations because humans are involved. Government has nothing to do with it. All we can do is do the best we can.
Agreed. The harder fight is to repair and improve institutions. A properly run and funded NSF is an asset and a blessing.
“There is nothing wrong in principal with having a NSF”
Just show me first where in the constitution this power is delegated.
I’m sure your aware of DARPA. Some of NSF funding likely serves a similar purpose. NSF funding for computer technology, materials science, AI, energy research, lasers, etc,,, all has defense applications and frankly the primary role of the federal government is national defense. I’m satisfied if some of my tax money goes for basic science as long as it is hard science.
Accidental downvote 🙁 I actually totally agree.
This is what I voted for!
imagine if the gop won the 2026 contests and maga forces stayed in control of the wh 2028!!
we’d have to have the ability to stop the over counting in the big blue cities
Not with Thune and Johnson in the control booth.
why are they underreped in schools run by the wht leftists????
maybe b/c they cant actually do the work and fall short of “impossible racist” standards that are set by those looking to keep us actually safe and have buildings and bridges and science brought to us by the best and brightest no matter the color of their skin
again,,,,,, why are they underreped in a lefty run system??
along the same lines:
The nonprofit Defending Education also flagged how the American Bar Association still requires some sort of DEI accreditation requirement despite repealing a DEI mandate last year.
Of nearly 200 law schools accredited by the ABA, “62 appear to still require students to complete DEI-related coursework or programming in order to graduate,” according to the report, published April 16.
“In addition, 72 law schools appear to maintain DEI offices—or rebranded versions of them—that remain in operation.”
Minorities are underrepresented in the STEM fields, but overrepresented in the social science fields. Is there a lesson there?
We need a DEI to adjust the underrepresentation of conservatives in academia. Fair is fair.
I preferred the original headline: DEI-iddled.
Riddled? Addled? Diddled?
It worked so many ways!
NSF is a floor wax, a dessert topping, AND a drain cleaner!