Trump Fires All 24 NSF Board Members by Email
The Presidential Personnel Office issued identical boilerplate termination letters — "Your position as a member of the National Science Board is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service." — to all 24 board members simultaneously. The NSF distributes $9 billion in research grants annually and its board, which has operated since 1950, was actively advising Congress on resisting the administration's proposed 55% NSF budget cut when the firings occurred.
Why It Matters
The NSF funds foundational research behind the internet, GPS, MRIs, and LASIK. Board chair Victor McCrary's team had reportedly already been stonewalled by NSF leadership for months before the dismissal. LeCun and other AI researchers flagged this as a direct blow to long-term US competitiveness against China in foundational science.