U.S. President Trump has dismissed all members of the U.S. National Science Council. This news has been disclosed by multiple sources, and has once again put pressure on the U.S. scientific research funding system, which was already in turmoil.The National Science Council is responsible for advising the President and Congress on matters related to the National Science Foundation. Not only has the level of scientific research funding at the National Science Foundation been at a historically low level, but there have also been significant delays in disbursing funds.
The report pointed out that the National Science Foundation has long played a key role in the U.S. science and technology innovation system. It has provided support for the development of MRI, mobile phones and other related technologies, and also helped the language learning platform Duolingo get started in its early stages. Therefore, the National Science Council was replaced as a whole, which was regarded by the outside world as an important event that may further impact the U.S. scientific research governance and basic research support mechanisms.
Zoe Lofgren, the top Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology, issued a statement strongly criticizing the Trump administration's move. She said that the National Science Council has always been a nonpartisan agency whose job is to advise the president on the future development of the National Science Foundation. Trump has continued to put pressure on the National Science Foundation since taking office and is now trying to destroy the committee that provides guidance to the foundation.
Lofgren also questioned whether Trump would reorganize the National Science Board based on political loyalty and replace the original members with "people loyal to MAGA" to ensure that the board does not create checks and balances on it. She warned that such an approach could further weaken the United States' leadership in science and cede it to competitors.
In the context of the current tightening of scientific research funding in the United States and the continued sluggishness of the funding process, the National Science Board has been completely replaced, adding further uncertainty to the future of U.S. science policy. Public opinion is generally concerned about how the White House will reorganize this agency next, and what profound impact this move will have on the future operations of the National Science Foundation and the scientific research funding ecosystem.