The NSF (National Science Foundation) has since the 1950s supported tens of thousands of research projects – on all possible subjects. But like other government agencies in the USA, it is now affected by Donald Trump's presidential decree, which, among other things, condemns diversity and equality work as "discrimination".
To ensure that they do not break the new rules, the staff are now using keywords in a review of thousands of ongoing projects, according to The Washington Post. Among the terms that can trigger warning flags are everyday words like "women" and "historical".
Warned
At the same time, researchers have already received instructions not to use NSF grants to "use or promote principles and contexts of diversity, equality, inclusion, and accessibility", according to the newspaper.
The question is how much will be left of the USA's federal research budget, which has gone to investments around the world – even as far away as the South Pole. The White House personnel unit OPM has, according to media, warned that around half of NSF's employees may be laid off. And according to industry websites like Science, rumors are circulating that Trump's plan is to cut the budget by two-thirds.
Chief cried
My boss cried when she told us, says an anonymous NSF employee to Science.
This is nothing they want to do. But they have no choice.
Experts warn that the drastic changes put the USA's world-leading role in science at risk. But it remains to be seen what Trump gets through in Congress.
The NSF's financial framework is established in the state budget, and no such budget has been agreed upon by Congress for the current fiscal year, which began in October. Cuts will take effect for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins in the fall – if Congress politicians vote yes.
