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States file lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that a directive from the National Science Foundation harms scientific research in 16 states.

NSF Faces Extensive Budget Reductions, Grant Freezes, and Employee Layoffs; 16 US State Attorneys General claim Certain Policies Violate Laws.

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Federal funding for scientific research faces drastic reductions, grant freezes, and potential job...
Federal funding for scientific research faces drastic reductions, grant freezes, and potential job losses. Seventeen state legal representatives in the U.S. contend that certain recently imposed policies are unlawful.

States file lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that a directive from the National Science Foundation harms scientific research in 16 states.

SIXTEEN U.S. STATES BACKLASH AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER NSF RESEARCH CUTS

Against the backdrop of a contentious political climate, a coalition of sixteen Democratic-led states has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging attempts by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to curtail research programs focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, and disability access (DEIA).

The suit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks to halt NSF policies that have resulted in the termination of hundreds of million-dollar grants in the DEIA and misinformation research sectors. According to NSF data, these cancellations have affected over 1,753 grants worth nearly $1.4 billion across various fields of research.

The lawsuit asserts that these actions are both illegal and dangerous, threatening national security, economic prosperity, and public health by slashing millions of dollars for cutting-edge scientific research across the nation [1][2][3]. The attorney generals leading the suit, Letitia James of New York and Anne Lopez of Hawaii, argue that these efforts to dismantle DEIA research are unlawful as the NSF has a mandate from Congress to bolster diversity in STEM fields [1][2][3].

The National Science Foundation Act stipulates the NSF's obligation to enhance participation by underrepresented groups in STEM, protecting them from the administration's attempts to undermine their inclusion [2]. The lawsuit further contends that the NSF's moves are in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution by arbitrarily changing policy and ignoring Congressional intent [1][2].

A second point of contention in the lawsuit involves the NSF's new policy imposing a cap on indirect research costs, which are critical for sustaining research infrastructure such as laboratories, safety programs, and equipment. The plaintiffs maintain that this cap jeopardizes federal law mandates for the NSF to support basic scientific research and education programs [1][3].

Neither the NSF nor the White House responded to requests for comment on these allegations. The Trump administration has defended its actions as necessary to align the NSF with presidential priorities [3]. The legal status of this lawsuit is currently pending judicial review.

Background:The NSF, an agency with a $9 billion budget, is responsible for advancing discoveries across the scientific spectrum, primarily by evaluating the scientific merit of grant proposals and distributing funds to universities and other research institutions [3]. Recently, the NSF's staff has been asked to ensure funding requests align with Trump's executive orders targeting DEIA-related activities and a "free speech" directive that seeks to combat misinformation [3]. Various researchers, stakeholders, and institutions working with the NSF have criticized these new policies [3].

[1] New York State Attorney General's Office – News release[2] Hawaii State Attorney General's Office – News release[3] CNN – Climate and weather scientists join the anti-Trump resistance in the "scientist-iest" way

  1. The lawsuit stemming from the challenges to the NSF's research cuts claims that these actions threaten general-news areas such as national security, economic prosperity, and public health.
  2. The lawsuit also points out that the NSF's attempts to dismantle research focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, and disability access (DEIA) in the STEM fields are unlawful, according to the National Science Foundation Act.
  3. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege that the NSF's new policy imposing a cap on indirect research costs is violating federal laws mandating support for basic scientific research, education, and infrastructure like laboratories.
  4. Apart from DEIA-related research, the lawsuit also seeks to halt the termination of grants in the misinformation research sector with potentially significant implications for environmental-science, technology, lifestyle, finance, education-and-self-development, and even entertainment.
  5. The news of this legislation and the NSF's changes in policies have garnered attention from various researchers, stakeholders, and institutions across the nation, creating an ongoing discourse in science news circles.

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