Trump Fires Entire NSF Oversight Board

President Trump dismissed all 24 members of the National Science Foundation's oversight board, the National Science Board, in a sweeping move that strips the agency of its independent governing body. The NSF funds roughly $9 billion in scientific research annually across U.S. universities and federal labs, making it one of the country's largest sources of basic research money. The National Science Board is a presidentially appointed body that sets policy for the NSF and reports directly to Congress. Firing all members at once is highly unusual and leaves the agency without the independent oversight layer Congress designed to sit above NSF's director. Without a functioning board, NSF grant decisions and policy direction fall more directly under executive control. Researchers and universities that depend on NSF funding face uncertainty about priorities, timelines, and whether existing grants could be restructured or pulled. This follows a broader pattern of the Trump administration reshaping or removing advisory and oversight bodies across federal agencies. Whether replacement members are nominated quickly, or the board remains vacant, will determine how much the funding pipeline is disrupted.