Trump administration fires all members of US National Science Board

Economy|Donald TrumpTrump administration fires all members of US’ National Science BoardDemocrats blast latest move by the administration to radically restructure the federal government.ListenListen (3 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoThe headquarters of the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, US, in 2025 [ Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo]By John PowerPublished On 28 Apr 202628 Apr 2026United States President Donald Trump’s administration has fired all 22 members of the board that sets the policies of the government-funded national science agency, according to an ex-board member and lawmakers.The dismissals at the National Science Board (NSB), the policy and advisory arm of the National Science Foundation (NSF), mark the Trump administration’s latest move to radically restructure the government following the gutting of multiple agencies, including the Department of Education and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Mexico’s Jalisco drug cartel commander ‘El Jardinero’ found hiding in ditchlist 2 of 4Mexican military captures cartel commander Audias Floreslist 3 of 4Gunmen kill at least 29 in Nigeria’s northeast Adamawa Statelist 4 of 4Oil prices rise despite Iran’s proposal to reopen Strait of Hormuzend of listRoger Beachy, who was reappointed to a second six-year term on the science board by Trump in 2020, said he and his colleagues were not given a reason for their dismissal.“The termination email was brief and to the point, with a ‘thank you for your service,'” Beachy, an emeritus biology professor at Washington University in St Louis, told Al Jazeera on Monday.Beachy said he expected the Trump administration to appoint a new board but expressed concern about the nature of the research and education that would be supported by the agency in the future.“The nature of the board – partisan or independent? – and how it interacts with the agency is of critical importance to the continuing success of the NSF,” Beachy said.Democratic lawmakers, who had earlier reported hearing of the dismissals from unspecified sources, blasted the Trump administration’s action.“This is the latest stupid move made by a president who continues to harm science and American innovation,” Zoe Lofgren, the most senior member of the US House of Representatives’ science committee, said in a statement. Advertisement “Will the president fill the NSB with MAGA loyalists who won’t stand up to him as he hands over our leadership in science to our adversaries?” Lofgren said, calling the firings a “real bozo the clown move”.The headquarters of the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, on May 29, 2025 [File: Mark Schiefelbein/AP]The White House and the NSF did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside of usual business hours.Trump has yet to publicly confirm or comment on the firings, but his administration previously targeted the NSF for sweeping cuts instituted by tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).Under last year’s cost-cutting drive, officials scrapped or halted more than 1,600 NSF grants worth nearly $1bn.The NSF, established as an independent federal agency in 1950, spent more than $8bn on scientific research and education in 2025, making it one of the largest individual funders of science worldwide.Beachy said it was too early to…

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