Shutting Down Science’s Council: A New Trend

In a surprising move, President Trump ended the tenure of several scientists on the National Science Board (NSB), the independent group that helps steer the nation’s $9 billion basic science agency. The dismissal came via a terse email from the White House, thanking them for service and ending their terms immediately. The NSB was set up in 1950 to bring a board‑style oversight to the National Science Foundation (NSF), which funds research ranging from Antarctic stations to cutting‑edge lab work. The board normally sits at 25 scientists and engineers, chosen by the president but serving six‑year terms so that policy shifts do not erase scientific guidance overnight. One former member, Marvi Matos Rodriguez, said she had been working on an 80‑page report while also juggling her day job. “Six years lets you do real work beyond politics, ” she explained, highlighting how the board’s long terms were meant to insulate science from short‑term agendas. The number of people removed is unclear, and it’s still unknown whether new members will be appointed. A spokesperson for the NSF pointed questions to the White House, which has yet to comment on why the terminations happened.Keivan Stassun, a Vanderbilt physicist who joined in 2022, reported that about a third of the board received similar termination notices. He stressed that the NSB’s role is to keep the NSF’s decisions rigorous and scientifically sound, especially when large funding choices—like a new research vessel—are on the table. Last year, the Trump administration proposed slashing NSF’s budget by 55 percent in its fiscal‑year request, a cut that Congress rejected. Now the budget again shows deep cuts for FY 2027, prompting Stassun to question whether the board’s advisory work is being targeted by the administration. Congressional leaders have called the move “stupid” and a continuation of a pattern where the administration has repeatedly disrupted science advisory bodies. In other federal agencies, similar shake‑ups have happened: a vaccine committee was wiped out and replaced with skeptics, an autism advisory board was reshaped to include those who spread misinformation, and NIH review panels lost many Black or Hispanic experts. The NSB’s disruption adds to the turmoil facing the NSF, which last year canceled over 1, 000 active research grants. While Trump nominated Jim O’Neill for NSF director in March, he has yet to be confirmed by Congress. The board’s future—and the stability of U. S. science policy—remains uncertain.