Dismantling Federal Science
April 27, 2026
22
MEMBERS FIRED
All NSB seats vacated simultaneously, Apr 24 2025
75
YEARS OF PRECEDENT
NSB operated without a mass dismissal since 1950
~55%
NSF BUDGET CUT PROPOSED
Trump FY2026 budget proposal vs. FY2024 enacted
8+
ADVISORY BODIES DISRUPTED
Federal science advisory panels altered or dissolved since Jan 2025
May 1950
HighNational Science Board Established
Jan 2017
MediumTrump 1st Term: Advisory Committee Freeze
Jan 20, 2025
MediumTrump Returns to Office
Feb 2025
MediumDOGE Begins NSF Review
Feb 2025
HighHundreds of NSF Grants Canceled
Mar 2025
HighNational Climate Assessment Canceled
Mar 2025
MediumNASA Budget Cut Proposed: -25%
Apr 2025
MediumNOAA Advisory Committees Dissolved
Apr 24, 2025
CriticalAll 22 NSB Members Fired
Apr 25, 2025
HighScientific Community Reacts
founding
disruption
budget
political
purge
reaction
Key Questions
Sources: National Science Foundation · AAAS · Nature News · Office of Management and Budget
Data sources
NSB Mass Dismissal — Nature News Report· NatureNational Science Foundation Act (42 U.S.C. § 1863)· U.S. Congress / Legal Information InstituteNSF Budget History — Historical Federal Budget Data· American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)FY2026 Presidential Budget Request — NSF· Office of Management and Budget / NSFFederal Advisory Committee Act and Science Boards· U.S. General Services AdministrationNational Climate Assessment Cancellation· U.S. Global Change Research Program / reporting via ScienceEPA Science Advisory Board Restructuring· Environmental Protection Agency / reporting via E&E NewsSeila Law v. CFPB — Presidential Removal Power Ruling· U.S. Supreme Court