Trump fires entire National Science Board

President Donald Trump removed all 24 presidentially appointed members of the National Science Board on Friday, April 24, according to reports and the board’s own published roster. (forbes.com) (nsf.gov) The National Science Board is the outside body that sets policy for the National Science Foundation and advises both Congress and the president on science and engineering. The board also approves major National Science Foundation awards and gives congressional testimony. (nsf.gov 1) (nsf.gov 2) The board is structured to outlast any one administration: 25 seats in all, with the National Science Foundation director serving ex officio and the other 24 members appointed by the president to staggered six-year terms. (nsf.gov 1) (nsf.gov 2) That design is why the mass dismissal stands out. The board’s staggered terms are meant to keep science policy from turning over wholesale every election cycle. (nsf.gov) (forbes.com) The move also lands in the middle of a broader shake-up at the National Science Foundation. The agency’s fiscal 2026 budget request seeks $3.903 billion, down from $9.1146 billion enacted for fiscal 2025. (nsf.gov 1) (nsf.gov 2) Science reported this month that Trump’s fiscal 2026 plan called for a 55% reduction at the National Science Foundation, part of wider proposed cuts across federal research agencies. (science.org) The board’s public calendar showed its next meeting was set for May 5 in Washington before the firings were reported. Its member page, meanwhile, still described a full board drawn from universities and industry. (nsf.gov) (nsf.gov) The White House had already been involved in recent board turnover. In April 2025, board chair Darío Gil left after Trump nominated him to serve as under secretary for science at the Energy Department, with vice chair Victor McCrary becoming acting chair. (nsf.gov) The immediate question is who, if anyone, will carry out the board’s approval and oversight functions until replacements are named. The National Science Foundation Act set up the agency with both a director and a board, not just a director alone. (nsf.gov) (forbes.com) For now, the administration has removed the entire outside board at the federal agency that funds much of the country’s basic academic research. What comes next depends on how quickly new members are appointed, and whether Congress accepts the administration’s proposed cuts. (nsf.gov) (nsf.gov)