Science funding eviscerated by Trump-MAGA-GOP-VOIGHT-Musk- Project 2025
Universities could collapse
Only a selected group of topics DEEMED important to the billionaires would continue
MEANING:
Artificial Intelligence (AI: a MUSK business),
Quantum information science (a MUSK business),
Biotechnology (a MUSK business)
Nuclear energy (FIND THE BRIBERY PLEASE),
and translational science.
No more funding: Earth Sciences
No more funding: Physics except tiny fraction
No more funding: Chemistry except tiny fraction
No more funding: Math, except tiny fraction
No more funding: Biology, except tiny fraction
No more funding: Astronomy and Space, except tiny fraction
No more funding: Computing, except tiny fraction
No more funding: Material Sciences, except tiny fraction
No more funding: Facilities and infrastructure that all scientists need to do their work, except tiny fraction
No more funding: People and society, except tiny fraction
No more funding: ENGINEERING, except tiny fraction
No more funding: Education and training, except tiny fraction
No more funding: TRAINING FUTURE STEM WORKERS AND SCIENTISTS, except tiny fraction
Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions | Science
https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2025/05/05/check-out-pat-bagleys-latest/
The National Science Foundation (NSF), already battered by White House directives and staff reductions, is plunging into deeper turmoil. According to sources who requested anonymity for fear of retribution, staff were told today that the agency’s 37 divisions—across all eight NSF directorates—are being abolished and the number of programs within those divisions will be drastically reduced. The current directors and deputy directors will lose their titles and might be reassigned to other positions at the agency or elsewhere in the federal government.
The consolidation appears to be driven in part by President Donald Trump’s proposal to cut the agency’s $4 billion budget by 55% for the 2026 fiscal year that begins on 1 October. NSF’s decision to abolish its divisions could also be part of a larger restructuring of the agency’s grantmaking process that involves adding a new layer of review. NSF watchers fear that a smaller, restructured agency could be more vulnerable to pressure from the White House to fund research that suits its ideological bent.(
As soon as this evening, NSF is also expected to send layoff notices to an unspecified number of its 1700-member staff. The remaining staff and programs will be assigned to one of the eight, smaller directorates. Staff will receive a memo on Friday “with details to be finalized by the end of the fiscal year,” sources tell Science. The agency is also expected to issue another round of notices tomorrow terminating grants that have already been awarded, sources say. In the past 3 weeks, the agency has pulled the plug on almost 1400 grants worth more than $1 billion.
A spokesperson for NSF says the rationale for abolishing the divisions and removing their leaders is “to reduce the number of SES [senior executive service] positions in the agency and create new nonexecutive positions to better align with the needs of the agency.”
NSF receives more than 40,000 proposals a year, roughly one-quarter of which are funded. And division directors wield great authority over the outcome. “Although division directors do many things, their main job is to concur on grant recommendations,” says one former NSF staffer.
The initial vetting is handled by hundreds of program officers, all experts in their field and some of whom are on temporary leave from academic positions. After collecting input from outside reviewers, program managers pick the strongest proposals and ask their division director to concur with their recommendation for funding. For all but the biggest grants, the division director’s endorsement is the final approval step. That system is unlike the one used by the National Institutes of Health, where advisory councils for each institute have the final say and rely on ratings from a panel of outside experts.
Last week, staff were briefed on a new process for vetting grant proposals that are found to be out of step with a presidential directive on diversity, equity, and inclusion, which bans any research that preferentially favors one demographic group or excludes participation by other groups. Program managers can make minor adjustments to bring a proposal into compliance, according to a slide presentation obtained by Science. In the new structure, even if a revised proposal gets the green light from a division director, a new body whose membership has not been determined will take a fresh look to ensure it conforms to the agency’s new standard for making awards.
But today NSF officials announced they are essentially abandoning that approach for a new strategy they say will both save money and focus on a handful of areas President Donald Trump has identified as priorities for his administration. “These actions are necessary … to reduce the size of government and reduce federal spending,” according to a memo from Micah Cheatham, NSF’s chief management officer. The move is part of a plan to radically restructure and downsize the agency, as reported yesterday by Science.
NSF now hosts 368 scientists who are not classified as federal employees but who typically stay from 2 to 4 years under a governmentwide program known as the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA). By 9 June, NSF plans to slash the number of IPAs to 70, according to Cheatham. That shrunken crew, he writes, will help manage research portfolios covering one of five areas: artificial intelligence, quantum information science, biotechnology, nuclear energy, and translational science. “Those positions will be filled with existing IPAs to the maximum extent possible,” Cheatham adds.
NSF slashes number of ‘rotators’ and well-paid managers as part of restructuring | Science
Simultaneously, NSF also plans to reduce by 60% the number of administrators classified as senior executive service (SES) employees, who earn salaries much higher than the regular federal pay scale. NSF’s current roster of 143 SES positions will plunge to 59, a number Cheatham says is commensurate with NSF’s “new organizational structure and proposed future budgets.”
That restructuring would abolish NSF’s current 37 divisions spread across the agency’s eight directorates. Science has now learned that the new structure will retain the existing directorates but replace divisions with “clusters” that fund research in the president’s five priority areas. Unlike the current divisions, which are led by an SES director and an SES deputy director, the new clusters will be headed by non-SES supervisors.
In advance of adopting its new structure, Cheatham announced NSF is eliminating the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES) and firing its entire staff, believed to number between 15 and 20. The reduction in force, in effect immediately, will be completed by 12 July.
What to do:
5calls to your lawmakers
Go to safeNFS and tell us your story of science
https://www.savensf.com/
Tell your university and college to RESIST AND FIGHT LIKE HELL
Tell your university and college to join ranks with everyone, especially the other educational institutions and sue. Don’t forget to sue the architects of the attacks personally.
Universities get $60 billion annually from research and development sources in the federal government.
Google AI says
Of the 90 colleges and universities in my analysis, 17 received at least 20 percent of their funding from the federal government and 47 received between 10 and 20 percent. Only 11 institutions received less than 5 percent of their total revenue from federal sources in 2022–23.5 days ago
How Much Federal Funding Do Colleges and Universities …
The federal government provides a significant portion of the funding for universities and colleges, primarily through grants and contracts for research and development (R&D), as well as student financial aid. In fiscal year 2023, the federal government provided nearly $60 billion for R&D efforts at universities. Additionally, the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) provides billions in grants, work-study, and loan funds each year. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Research and Development Funding:
NIH and NSF: A large portion of the federal funding for universities comes from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), particularly for research. [1, 2]
Federal R&D Support: In FY 2023, federal dollars supported $59.6 billion of university R&D expenses. [2]
Specific Agencies: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, including NIH), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are the major federal agencies supporting university R&D. [5, 6, 7]
Concentration of R&D: A small percentage of research-intensive universities receive a large share of federal R&D funding. [5]
Student Financial Aid:
Federal Student Aid: The FSA provides billions of dollars in grants, work-study, and loans to students each year. [4]
Pell Grants: Federal Pell Grants are primarily awarded to undergraduate students with financial need. [8]
Federal Work-Study: The Federal Work-Study Program provides part-time jobs for students with financial need. [8]
Other Funding Sources:
State and Local Funding: States and local governments also provide financial aid to students, with a significant portion of students receiving aid in the form of state or local grants and scholarships. [9]
Tuition and Fees: Tuition and fees paid by students and their families are a major source of revenue for universities, especially for public institutions. [10]
Overall, the federal government plays a crucial role in funding universities and colleges, contributing significantly to both research and student financial aid. [1, 2, 3, 4]
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/how-much-federal-funding-do-colleges-and-universities-receive
[4] https://studentaid.gov/about
[5] https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb202326
[6] https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf24307
[7] https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=303449
[8] https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/money-college
[9] https://educationdata.org/financial-aid-statistics
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