Staff at the National Science Foundation (NSF) are speaking out against politically motivated and legally questionable actions by the Trump administration. Internal reports and employee accounts reveal that scientific grants, especially those focused on climate change, diversity, and public health, have faced sudden and sweeping political scrutiny. More than 1,600 active grants were terminated, bypassing NSF’s standard peer-review process and instead subjected to partisan oversight by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Alongside the grant cancellations, approximately 10% of NSF staff, many of them early-career or on probation, were abruptly dismissed with little explanation. These cuts are part of a broader campaign to shrink and reshape federal science agencies in line with ideological goals. Staff say they were pressured to audit their own projects for compliance with new executive orders targeting “woke science,” halting work and paralyzing progress.
This marks a fundamental shift in how science is evaluated and funded in the U.S. Under the traditional NSF system, proposals were reviewed by independent experts based on scientific merit and societal impact. Program officers, career scientists, would then make funding decisions rooted in peer-reviewed evidence. But now, under Trump’s directives, all proposals are first screened for political “compliance.” Any mention of topics like racial equity, climate justice, or LGBTQ+ health can trigger rejection or further political scrutiny. DOGE staff, rather than scientists, are making all the final decisions, often without any peer review at all.
Science oversight committees are demanding answers, warning that the administration’s actions pose a direct threat to the independence of U.S. scientific institutions. This politicization undermines public trust in science and damages America’s global standing as a leader in research and innovation.
The consequences are already setting in. Scientists report a growing exodus of talent, with researchers seeking opportunities abroad and students rethinking careers in science altogether. Long-term damage, done in just a matter of months, could take years to undo.
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