#Trump: We don't even need the scientist...No one knows more about science than I do!
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#Trump's new #science panel includes 9 #tech #billionaires -and just one #scientist
BY #DanGARISTO & #NatureMAGAZINE
#RIPScienceUSA #USA
9/9 "It plays into the narrative that universities are elitist places," said researcher Gitter, whose grant on protein modelling was flagged for one sentence about opportunities for minorities.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/trum...
#Science #NSF #DanGaristo
8/9 Most flagged grants were targeted for including "broader impacts" statements—a requirement passed unanimously by the Senate in 2010 & 2017. Rep. Lofgren urged NSF not to be "intimidated into accepting these vacuous findings & undermining its merit review process."
#Science #Politics #DanGaristo
7/9 In February, NSF reviewed all grants containing hundreds of flagged words like "women," "black men," and "inequality"—despite Congress mandating since 1980 that NSF must broaden participation of underrepresented groups in science as part of its mission.
#Science #NSF #DanGaristo
6/9 A new House Democrats' analysis released today found Cruz's report contained "a slew of embarrassing mistakes"—flagging grants on rice genomics and leopard seals that had no DEI connection, double-counting 14% of grants, and targeting minority-serving institutions.
#Science #NSF #DanGaristo
5/9 DOGE's actions follow a controversial October 2024 report by Senator Ted Cruz claiming 3,483 NSF grants awarded during Biden's administration "went to questionable projects that promoted DEI tenets," allegedly wasting $2 billion.
#Science #NSF #DanGaristo
4/9 Documents obtained by Garisto show DOGE members Luke Farritor and Zachary Terrell have accessed grant management systems to block funding for approved grants awaiting finalization. "That raises the hairs on the back of our neck," one NSF programme officer told Nature.
#Science #DOGE #DanGaristo
3/9 Three DOGE members arrived at NSF headquarters Monday, directing that hundreds of already-approved research proposals be sent back to programme officers for undefined "mitigation work," according to NSF staff who spoke anonymously to Garisto due to fears of reprisal.
#Science #NSF #DanGaristo
2/9 The $9 billion NSF, one of the world's largest basic research funders, has experienced whiplash since Trump's return: freezing and unfreezing grants, firing and rehiring staff, and cutting its graduate research fellowship programme in half to just 1,000 positions.
#Science #NSF #DanGaristo
