NSF Continues Grant Terminations as Layoffs and Closure of Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM Are on Hold
NSF Continues Grant Terminations as Layoffs and Closure of Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM Are on Hold
 
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May 2025

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has continued to terminate awarded grants, with over 1,700 grants reported by NSF. Nearly 200 of the grants are part of an overall termination of grants that were awarded to Harvard University. As of May 21, the NSF termination list included 800 grants from the STEM Education (EDU) Directorate and nearly 300 grants from the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate.

The grant terminations have been made in alignment with an announcement released on April 18 on updates to NSF priorities.

In addition to the grant terminations and the resignations of prior NSF director Sethuraman Panchanathan on April 24 and NSF governing board member Alondra Nelson on May 13, reports indicated plans for NSF to lay off a significant part of its workforce and eliminate divisions while otherwise maintaining its eight directorates. These actions would have aligned with the proposal in the outline for the FY 2026 budget request to cut funding for NSF by more than half. As part of this restructuring, the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES) in the EDU Directorate was initially “sunset” on May 9.

However, in response to a May 9 court decision that temporarily halted administration reductions-in-force across several federal agencies, including NSF, a separate memo followed, stating that NSF was suspending those actions “until further notice.” On May 19, NSF updated its terms and conditions for grants that include an updated term related to nondiscrimination. NSF grantees are now required to certify that “they do not, and will not during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI, or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws” in accepting an awarded grant. Grantees must also certify that they do or will not boycott organizations with Israeli ties.

On May 30, AERA and other scientific societies issued a letter to Congress expressing support for NSF and concern about the reorganizations and cuts at the agency. The letter urges Congress to "exercise your oversight authority to investigate recent organizational and financial developments, some of which may be at odds with existing statutory directives." 

The National Science Board (NSB), which serves as the policy and oversight authority for NSF and as an advisory board to the president, issued a statement, “Winning the Race for the Future with the National Science Foundation,” on May 16. In acknowledging NSF’s 75th anniversary, the NSB statement noted the need for a “Next Generation NSF” to support the most meritorious research and to enhance speed, transparency, and impact.

“Building on a long tradition of national support, we are confident that America’s creative, dedicated, and resilient scientists, engineers, and technicians in all sectors will thrive in the new 21st century S&T ecosystem that we can continue building together,” the NSB members stated.

AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine provided written testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) on May 9. In the testimony, which recommended $9.9 billion for NSF and $2 billion for the Census Bureau in FY 2026, Levine called on Congress to take action.

“It is imperative for this subcommittee and this Congress to act as it has done consistently in a bipartisan fashion to ensure the vitality of NSF and the research that informs and supports the national interest,” Levine wrote.

As part of oversight efforts, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), ranking member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, led a letter from committee Democrats on May 8 to NSF leadership. Lofgren sought responses to questions about the grant terminations, while also calling on NSF to provide an appeals process for grants that were terminated.

In addition, on May 20, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, held a media briefing on the importance of the federal investment in scientific research. Speakers included Arati Prabhakar, who most recently served as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and former NSF director France Córdova.