The Trump administration can go ahead and purge more than 1,600 research grants issued by National Science Foundation (NSF) worth more than $1bn, after a judge declined to grant a preliminary injunction in a case brought by a coalition of organizations representing thousands of scientists.
The NSF is the premier federal investor in basic and cutting-edge science and engineering, which until Trump’s second term enjoyed bipartisan support, with the agency’s independent review process revered globally as the gold standard.
Shortly after the president’s inauguration, the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) led by billionaire Trump donor Elon Musk was given free reign to overhaul the NSF to comply with what the administration said were its “changing priorities”.
Doge wielded widespread and chaotic cuts to NSF staff, programs and research grants – particularly targeting grants that complied with congressional mandates to improve participation by women, people of color and people with disabilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem).
The congressional push to improve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in science and engineering was designed to nurture and attract untapped talent in marginalized communities, in order to boost American innovation, the economy and national defense.
A legal challenge seeking to stop the NSF grant terminations was filed in June by groups including the American Association of Physics Teachers, American Association of Colleges and Universities, Women in Engineering Pro-Active Network, and United Auto Workers – which represents graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty and university staff working on campuses.
The groups argued that the sudden change in policy and mass terminations at the NSF were arbitrary and capricious, violating the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the separation of powers and due process.
On Wednesday evening, the district court of the District of Columbia ruled against the scientists and declined to halt the cuts while the case proceeds through the courts.
“The Court finds that it likely lacks jurisdiction over Plaintiffs’ retrospective APA claims … [and] Plaintiffs have failed to show irreparable harm flowing from their prospective APA claims and have not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of their constitutional claims,” the court ruled.
In a statement, the coalition said: “While we are deeply disappointed in the court’s decision to allow the termination of grants to stand while we argue this case on the merits, we are as united and committed as ever to ultimately winning this case and protecting these important NSF grants.
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“The Trump-Vance administration acted unlawfully when it terminated these crucial grants. It attempted to usurp congressional authority by eliminating funding required by law. This case is not over and we are eager to defend the important role the NSF plays in the daily lives of Americans.”
Since its creation 75 years ago, the NSF has contributed to major breakthroughs in organ transplants, gene technology, AI, smartphones and the internet, extreme weather and other hazard warning systems, American sign language, and cybersecurity.
So far, nearly 2,000 taxpayer funded research grants authorized on their merits have been abandoned midway, of which 420 have been reinstated, according to Grant Witness, a non-profit tracker of federal science and health research grants canceled under Trump.
