Entire NSF Science Advisory Board Fired by Trump Administration
Dan Garisto | 26 April 2026 | Nature
All 22 members of the advisory board that oversees the US National Science Foundation (NSF), a leading funder of fundamental science, were fired on 24 April without explanation. Every member of the NSF’s National Science Board (NSB) received an e-mail on Friday afternoon saying that “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump”, their positions were “terminated, effective immediately”.
Members of the NSB are appointed by the president and serve six-year terms that are staggered, avoiding complete turnover. Asked about the reason for the termination, a White House spokesperson said that the 2021 Supreme Court decision United States v. Arthrex, Inc. “raised constitutional questions about whether non-Senate confirmed appointees can exercise the authorities that Congress gave the National Science Board”. Members of the NSB were initially confirmed by the Senate, but have not been since 2012…