The Trump administration has dismissed every member of the National Science Board, eliminating the entire 22-person advisory panel in a sweeping action last Friday, according to former board members who spoke out Monday.
The independent advisory panel, created in 1950, serves to oversee the National Science Foundation and provide scientific guidance to both the president and Congress on matters involving science and engineering policy.
Board members received notice of their immediate dismissal on Friday, with no explanation provided for the mass termination, according to statements from former members Yolanda Gil and Keivan Stassun.
“Yes, all 22 current members of the National Science Board were terminated on Friday effective immediately. No reason was given,” stated Gil, who serves at the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute.
The board consisted primarily of university professors, along with representatives from national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private industry, Gil explained to Reuters.
Stassun, a Vanderbilt University researcher, expressed his disappointment while confirming that Friday’s termination notice offered no justification for the dismissals.
“Seeing similar actions by the Administration across the federal government and especially with regards to scientific research, it seemed only a matter of time,” Stassun commented.
The board members had been serving six-year appointments before their abrupt removal.
Political analysts suggest this action fits a broader pattern by the Trump administration to restructure independent federal institutions by placing loyal appointees in key positions while removing voices that operate independently or critically.
When contacted for comment, the National Science Foundation referred all inquiries to the White House.
A White House representative indicated that the congressional authorities originally granted to the board upon its creation may require modernization, while emphasizing that the National Science Foundation’s operations “continue uninterrupted.”
