Trump Fires National Science Board, Raising Alarm Over Science Policy

Federal science policy took a sharp turn when the White House Presidential Personnel Office told members of the National Science Board on Friday that their positions were terminated effective immediately. The board is not ceremonial. It sets policy for the National Science Foundation, approves major NSF awards, and speaks for the nation’s science and engineering enterprise, putting the dismissal at the center of who steers public research money in the United States.

Created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, the National Science Board was designed as a staggered, presidentially appointed body to preserve continuity across administrations. NSF says its 25 members come from universities and industry, serve six-year terms, and are replaced in thirds every two years, with the NSF director serving as an ex officio member. That structure matters because the board advises both Congress and the president, and its authority reaches into the agency’s strategic direction and award decisions.

House Science Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren said Democratic staff learned from multiple sources that Donald Trump had fired the entire board, calling it “the latest stupid move” and saying the NSB is apolitical. Barbara R. Snyder, president of the Association of American Universities, said she was deeply troubled by reports that all members had been dismissed, warning that the foundation is already without a confirmed director and needs clear strategic oversight.

The practical stakes go far beyond symbolism. Because the NSB approves major NSF awards and issues statements on national science priorities, changing its membership can influence which research gets elevated, how grants are framed, and how independently the foundation can operate when political pressure is rising. The Washington Post described NSF as a nearly $9 billion basic science funding agency, underscoring how a move against its board reaches into the plumbing of American research, not just its headline politics.