The Trump administration has reportedly dismissed all 22 members of the National Science Board, the governing body that oversees the National Science Foundation and provides scientific advice to Congress and the president. Critics have condemned the move as a politically motivated attack on independent science.
Reaction from Lawmakers and Scientists
Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren of California described the decision as a “real bozo the clown move,” calling it the latest in a series of actions that harm scientific progress. “This is the latest stupid move made by a president who continues to harm science and American innovation,” she stated. “The NSB is apolitical. It advises the president on the future of NSF. It unfortunately is no surprise a president who has attacked NSF from day one would seek to destroy the board that helps guide the Foundation.”
Gretchen Goldman, president and CEO of the Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote in a blog post: “This unseemly political maneuver must be seen for what it is: An attempt to silence independent scientists, shut down evidence-based decision making, and keep the public in the dark.”
Details of the Firings
The White House reportedly fired the board members on Friday with little explanation. The National Science Foundation directed inquiries to the White House, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The National Science Board, whose members serve six-year terms, plays a crucial role in guiding the NSF’s budget of over $9 billion. It approves major expenditures and sets long-term priorities for the agency, which funds fundamental non-medical science and engineering research in the United States. Technologies such as GPS and the internet have benefited from NSF support.
Keivan Stassun, a professor of physics and astronomy at Vanderbilt University and one of the fired members, told the Los Angeles Times: “What it means is that there won’t be any practical impediments to the administration essentially enacting their own budget and priorities and ignoring Congress’ directives or congressional law.” He added: “What we’re likely to see is a collapse of what has historically been a broad investment in American science and technology capabilities. The most transformative discoveries are transformative because you can’t predict them in advance, so we invest foundationally in scientists and engineers to do basic science and engineering research.”
Broader Context of Science Policy Changes
The firings are the latest sign of upheaval at the NSF. In April 2025, NSF director Sethuraman Panchanathan resigned as personnel from the Trump administration’s cost-cutting program worked inside the agency to cancel numerous grants. The following month, board member Alondra Nelson resigned, alleging that the program had “by fiat the authority to give thumbs up or down to grant applications which had been systematically vetted by layers of subject matter experts.”
Last year, the White House proposed a 55 percent cut to the NSF budget, which Congress rejected. The administration has again requested cuts for the fiscal year 2027 budget. In March, the administration nominated Jim O’Neill, a former deputy secretary of Health and Human Services and biotech investor, to lead the NSF. O’Neill, who has yet to face a Senate hearing, would be the first NSF director without a formal scientific or engineering background.
During its first year, the Trump administration terminated or froze over 7,800 research grants, and roughly 25,000 scientists and staff at research agencies left the government, according to Nature. Last summer, the administration removed all members of a key CDC vaccine advisory panel, replacing some with vaccine skeptics. Similarly, members of an autism advisory board were replaced by individuals who had previously promoted debunked claims linking vaccines to autism.
President Trump has a history of denying established science, calling climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” at the United Nations General Assembly last year. However, he has been supportive of the technology industry, championing artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, and pushing to accelerate the development of AI data centers. Tech industry figures donated millions to his campaign and inauguration.
