The Trump administration has terminated all 22 members of the National Science Board, the independent panel that advises the president and Congress on science policy and oversees the National Science Foundation's major funding decisions.
An email sent Friday from the Presidential Personnel Office on behalf of President Donald J Trump informed board members their positions were "terminated, effective immediately." The move caught some members off guard, though not entirely.
Keivan Stassun, an astronomer at Vanderbilt University who sat on the board, called the decision "enormously disappointing." The board had been scheduled to meet in person the following week and was in the final stages of completing a report assessing the current state of U.S. science research and innovation.
Yolanda Gil, a computer scientist at the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute who was among those fired, said the termination signals sweeping changes ahead for the NSF. "I think this is one more indication of the administration has in mind for the NSF," Gil said.
Created in 1950, the National Science Board traditionally comprises 25 members appointed by the president who serve staggered six-year terms. The board includes leading researchers and engineers from academia and industry, with expertise spanning astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, and aerospace engineering. Board members help shape the agency's strategic direction and approve its largest research grants.
The timing carries significant implications for the NSF's budget. The Trump administration previously attempted to slash the agency's $9 billion annual budget by more than half, though Congress rejected that proposal. A similar cut is being considered for the upcoming fiscal year, and without the advisory board's oversight, such reductions could move forward more easily.
Stassun warned that unchecked budget cuts could "eviscerate investments in fundamental research and in the training of the next generation of scientists and engineers for our nation."
Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, called the action "a dangerous attack on the institutions and expertise that drive American innovation and discovery."
The NSF has already undergone physical changes under the administration. The agency's headquarters was relocated from its longtime base in Alexandria, Virginia, to a smaller building. The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it would occupy the NSF's former space.
In response to the terminations, the White House said the National Science Foundation's operations would continue without interruption. A statement indicated that the powers granted to the National Science Board when it was established may require updating, though it offered no specifics on what changes the administration envisions.
Author James Rodriguez: "Firing an entire advisory board without replacement shows contempt for institutional expertise, not reform. The question is whether Congress will move to restore independent science oversight before the damage becomes permanent."
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