The Trump administration has terminated all 22 current members of the independent board that oversees the National Science Foundation. Members of the board received an email sent from the Presidential Personnel Office on behalf of President Donald Trump stating that their positions were terminated, effective immediately.
Established in 1950, the independent board was created to advise the president and Congress on policies concerning science and engineering. This action follows an administration push for cuts to the National Science Foundation.
The move has raised concerns within the scientific community that it could jeopardize the tradition of independent decisions regarding federal science grants. Democrats have blasted the firings, calling them part of a move to radically restructure the federal government.
The top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation has labeled the dismissals a dangerous attack on American innovation and discovery.