The federal government has removed the entire National Science Board, two recently dismissed members said in statements released on Monday. The board, which has more than 20 members appointed to staggered six-year terms, was informed by email on Friday that their appointments were terminated immediately.
Established in 1950, the National Science Board was set up to provide governance oversight for the National Science Foundation and to offer advice to both the president and Congress on matters related to science and engineering policy. Its membership traditionally includes academics and professionals drawn from national laboratories, non-profit organizations and private industry.
Yolanda Gil, who is affiliated with the Information Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California, confirmed the blanket dismissals and said no reason was provided in the termination notice. "Yes, all 22 current members of the National Science Board were terminated on Friday effective immediately. No reason was given," she said in an emailed statement.
Keivan Stassun of Vanderbilt University, another board member who received the termination notice, described the action as unsurprising in light of other moves by the administration since taking office in early 2025. "Seeing similar actions by the Administration across the federal government and especially with regards to scientific research, it seemed only a matter of time," he said, adding that he was disappointed. Stassun also confirmed that the Friday email did not include an explanation for the removals.
Members of the board learned of the dismissals by email on Friday, according to the two former members. Gil noted that the majority of the board's membership consisted of academics, while also pointing out the presence of members from national labs, non-profit groups and industry among the group.
The National Science Foundation directed inquiries about the matter to the White House. In response, a White House official said the authorities granted to the National Science Board by Congress at the time of its creation may require updating. The official also stated that the work of the National Science Foundation "continues uninterrupted."
The abrupt nature of the terminations, and the lack of explanation provided to board members in the email, were highlighted by both Gil and Stassun in their statements. Beyond those comments and the White House remark about possible statutory updates, no additional details or reasons for the action were supplied by government sources in the statements reported on Monday.