On the afternoon of Friday, April 24, the White House Presidential Personnel Office reportedly sent out 22 emails to all members of the National Science Board (NSB), notifying them of their dismissal. The message shared no explanation for the decision.
The email read, in full, “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the National Science Board is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service.”
Several members of the NSB had been appointed by Trump himself during his first term. Congress established the board in 1950, and it has since worked independently to shape federal research policy. The NSB has staggered terms to rotate talent, maintain structure, and preserve historical knowledge and continuity, all of which has been quickly eroded by Trump through one curt email.
The distinguished scientists and engineers who made up the NSB did not know the firings were coming. Their dismissal is just the latest in a troubling time for NSF, still without a leader since April 2025 (see FABBS reporting). The board was scheduled to meet this week to finalize a report on the state of American science, one of its three main responsibilities. The NSB also oversees NSF’s largest research investments, including telescopes and supercomputing facilities, and serves as an independent advisor to the president and Congress on long-term scientific priorities.
The White House later invoked the Supreme Court Case U.S. v. Arthrex, Inc. (2021) — which reviewed the administrative authority of non-Senate confirmed patent judges, not related to the National Science Foundation (NSF) — as justification for the board’s dismissal.
The scientific community is speaking out against this decision, including leaders from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Association of American Universities (AAU). Democratic lawmakers on both the House Science Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee have also raised concerns, calling the firings politically-motivated and dangerous for American innovation.
The board’s dismissal only heightens the need for a confirmation hearing for the Trump-appointed NSF Director, Jim O’Neill. The Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF), of which FABBS’s Executive Director is the Co-Chair, is leading a community letter to encourage lawmakers on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) to hold a hearing.
