Another week, yet more cuts at the National Science Foundation (NSF), a federal agency that funds research projects worth around $9 billion. The board of 22 prominent scientists overseeing this crucial funding was abruptly terminated last Friday by President Trump's administration.
The NSF has been without a director since April 2025, when Sethuraman Panchanathan stepped down amid DOGE-led funding cuts. Jim O’Neill, an investor and longevity enthusiast with no science background, is currently nominated for the role.
Key decisions about how that money is spent have always been made by the National Science Board, a group of scientists appointed to serve six-year terms. Keivan Stassun, a Vanderbilt University physicist who was appointed in late 2022, describes it as having ‘a tremendous amount of responsibility and authority.’
Since Trump took office, the NSF has seen numerous terminations and budget cuts, with the board not involved in these decisions. Staff numbers are down by 40%, and ambitious projects like the Extremely Large Telescope Program may be dead in the water.
The administration’s 2027 budget request states that the NSF will close out its directorate for social, behavioral, and economic sciences but highlights AI and quantum information science as key ‘frontier initiatives.’
