Trump Fires All 22 Members of the Board That Oversees the National Science Foundation

All 22 sitting members of the National Science Board received termination emails from the Presidential Personnel Office, sent "on behalf of President Donald J. Trump," removing them effective immediately. The board, created by Congress in 1950, advises the president and Congress on science policy, approves major National Science Foundation funding awards and sets the agency's strategic direction; it normally seats 25 members serving staggered six-year terms. The NSF spent more than $8 billion on research and education in 2025. The board had a meeting scheduled the following week and was finalizing a report on the state of U.S. science.

Removing an entire statutorily created body at once eliminates the layer of external review between the agency and the executive branch. Dismissed member Keivan Stassun said the removals could make it easier to "eviscerate investments in fundamental research." Senator Maria Cantwell called it "a dangerous attack on the institutions and expertise that drive American innovation."

The terminations were effective immediately. No legal challenge had been reported as of the end of April 2026.