Trump administration fires independent board overseeing the National Science Foundation
NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration fired members of an independent panel overseeing the situation National Science Foundation.
Members of the National Science Board received an email from the Presidential Personnel Office on Friday stating that their duties “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump” have been terminated, effective immediately.
“I’m not too surprised, to be honest,” suspended board member Keivan Stassun said in an email. Stassun, who works at Vanderbilt University, added that the decision was “extremely disappointing.”
The National Science Board was established in 1950 to advise the president and Congress on science and engineering policy, approve major funding awards, and provide guidance. NSF’s future.
It consists of 25 members, usually appointed by the president and serving staggered six-year terms. The laid-off scientists come from academia and industry and specialize in fields such as astronomy, mathematics, chemistry and aeronautical engineering.
Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said in a statement that the move was “a dangerous attack on the institutions and expertise that drive American innovation and discovery.”
The Trump administration tried to cut the science foundation’s $9 billion budget by more than half last year. Congress has maintained NSF funding, but a similar cut is on the table once again for next year.
Stassun said such cuts might be easier to implement if we don’t have an advisory board in front of us this time.
This could “eviscerate investments in basic research and training the next generation of scientists and engineers for our nation,” Stassun said.
The headquarters of the science foundation was also moved to a smaller building. Last year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that NSF would move to its former base in Alexandria, Virginia.
The National Science Foundation referred a request for comment to the White House. The White House did not immediately respond to comment.
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