White House Ousts Entire National Science Board

The White House on Friday terminated all members of the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation, Nature and Science reported.

The NSF, which has a nearly $9 billion annual budget, is among the top federal funders of university research. The board has 25 members when it’s at full capacity.

The Presidential Personnel Office sent members of the board a message saying, “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I’m writing to inform you that your position as a member of the National Science Board is terminated, effective immediately.”

In response to emailed questions about the reported terminations, Mike England, NSF’s head of media affairs, told Inside Higher Ed, “These questions are best directed to the White House.” The White House did not respond to a request for comment sent Saturday.

The president’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year would cut more than half of NSF’s budget, though Congress rejected a similarly drastic recommended cut for this year.