Members of the National Science Board (NSB) received a brief email informing them that their positions had been terminated with immediate effect, acting “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump”. No explanation for the decision was provided.
The NSB is a key body responsible for guiding the strategy and oversight of the NSF, one of the most important institutions funding basic scientific research in the United States. Board members are appointed by the US president and serve six-year staggered terms, a structure designed to prevent a complete turnover at any one time and ensure continuity in scientific policy advice.
The sudden dismissal of the entire board is described by scientists as without precedent.
Dan Reed, a computer scientist at the University of Utah who served as chair of the NSB between 2022 and 2024, said the move undermines the role of independent scientific guidance.
“We need a vibrant, independent National Science Board that represents the full spectrum of the science and engineering community,” Reed said.
The White House has not publicly explained the reasons behind the decision, nor confirmed whether new board members will be appointed.
Criticism has also come from lawmakers. Zoe Lofgren, the leading Democrat on the US House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, described the move as another step that risks damaging American scientific leadership and innovation.
The decision follows a broader pattern during the Trump administration in which scientific advisory structures have been reduced or dissolved. Last year, the administration dismissed all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a key body shaping US vaccine policy, and eliminated multiple advisory committees linked to the NSF. Several other scientific advisory groups were also removed under an executive order aimed at reducing federal spending.
The National Science Foundation and the National Science Board were created by Congress in 1950 to provide independent scientific advice to the US government. The board typically meets five times per year and produces reports assessing the state of science and engineering in the country.
Its next meeting had been scheduled for 5 May, when members were expected to discuss a report examining concerns that the United States may be losing scientific ground to China.
Roger Beachy, a biologist at Washington University in St. Louis and a former NSB member who had originally been appointed by President Barack Obama and reappointed by Trump in 2020, questioned the implications of the decision.
“Where will advice come from? Who will help shape the future of science in this nation?” he asked.
Because the NSB was created through an act of Congress, it cannot formally be dissolved by the executive branch alone. The founding legislation also stipulates that board members must be distinguished figures in science and engineering.
The sudden termination of the board’s members has therefore intensified debate over the future of independent scientific advice in US policymaking.
Source: nature.com