Overview
- National Science Board members said they received boilerplate emails from the Presidential Personnel Office that terminated their positions effective immediately.
- Screenshots reported by The Washington Post showed letters stating, “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump… your position as a member of the National Science Board is terminated, effective immediately.”
- The scope of the purge remains uncertain, with House Science Committee Democratic staff describing it as the entire board, while member Keivan Stassun said about a third received notices.
- Lawmakers and scientists condemned the action, and board member Marvi Matos Rodriguez said she was dismissed days after working through an 80-page report for the board.
- The move comes as the administration proposes deep FY2027 cuts to the National Science Foundation, even after the board helped beat back a proposed 55 percent reduction last year, and it is unclear when or whether replacements will be named.