Story perspectives

Trump Fires All Science Board Members, Proposes 55% NSF Cut

4/27/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump terminated all 22 National Science Board members, ending their staggered six-year terms.
Physicist Keivan Stassun reported roughly one-third received termination notices, prompting Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-California) to call the move “stupid” and warn it will harm American science.
The board, which guides National Science Foundation (NSF) policy and oversees $9 billion in research funding, was dismissed as the administration proposes cutting the NSF budget by up to 55 % for FY 2027.

History

Historical Context

Budget battles over the NSF date back to the 1981 OMB proposal to slash its social-science directorate, a move that failed but foreshadowed later cuts. In 1995 the agency retired NSFNET as commercial internet took over. Trump’s 2025 plan slashes NSF funding by 55% (from $9 billion to $4 billion), echoing past efforts to curb the foundation’s authority.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump terminated all 22 National Science Board members, ending their staggered six-year terms.
Physicist Keivan Stassun reported roughly one-third received termination notices, prompting Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-California) to call the move “stupid” and warn it will harm American science.
The board, which guides National Science Foundation (NSF) policy and oversees $9 billion in research funding, was dismissed as the administration proposes cutting the NSF budget by up to 55 % for FY 2027.

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