Trump Fires Entire National Science Board Overseeing NSF Funding
President Donald Trump fired the entire National Science Board overseeing the National Science Foundation on Monday, April 27, 2026, a move that raises immediate questions about federal research oversight. The action removes the body that helps set policy for the federal science agency and could reshape how research funds are overseen.
The White House dismissed all board members, the PBS News report said. Officials did not immediately provide an explanation.
The episode traces back to the National Science Board's role as an independent advisory and governing body for the National Science Foundation. Board members are presidential appointees who shape grant policy and advise on large investments in basic research.
Scientists and research institutions will be watching for guidance about ongoing grants, peer review and agency rulemaking. The PBS News story provided the initial public report of the firings and the immediate questions they raised.
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📌 Key Facts
- On Friday, April 24, 2026, National Science Board members received an email saying their positions were 'terminated, effective immediately' on behalf of President Trump.
- The National Science Board, created in 1950, consists of about 25 presidential appointees who oversee the National Science Foundation and advise Congress and the president on science policy.
- The Trump administration has twice proposed cutting the NSF’s roughly $9 billion budget by more than half, though Congress preserved funding last year.
- Sen. Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, condemned the dismissals as 'a dangerous attack' on U.S. science institutions.
- NSF’s headquarters was recently moved to a smaller building after its former Alexandria, Virginia base was turned over to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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