National Science Foundation staff were told to freeze outgoing funding days after NSF leadership introduced a new policy that requires that grants be screened for “alignment with agency priorities”

Staff members at the US National Science Foundation (NSF) were told on 30 April to “stop awarding all funding actions until further notice,” according to an email seen by Nature.

The policy prevents the NSF, one of the world’s biggest supporters of basic research, from awarding new research grants and from supplying allotted funds for existing grants, such as those that receive yearly increments of money. The email does not provide a reason for the freeze and says that it will last “until further notice”.

Earlier this week, NSF leadership also introduced a new policy directing staff members to screen grant proposals for “topics or activities that may not be in alignment with agency priorities”. Proposals judged not “in alignment” must be returned to the applicants by NSF employees. The policy has not been made public but was described in documents seen by Nature.

  • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
    63·
    17 hours ago

    I still don’t understand why anyone is listening to the executive branch. They don’t have authority over everything. Just ignore them and tell them to go away.

    • kata1yst@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      29·
      16 hours ago

      Cannot up vote this enough. They have as much power as we collectively give them. They have proven this repeatedly by A) ignoring court orders B) In turn getting repeatedly bitch slapped by the judiciary overturning their orders and actions.

      Blind compliance is the only way they succeed. Refusing to comply and fighting back is the only way the rest of us survive.

    • meyotch@slrpnk.net
      15·
      16 hours ago

      This one is very clear. The NSF was created directly by an act of Congress. It is not part if the regular agency structure. It was in response to the Sputnik moment, where we were concerned about our ability to remain strategically competitive in areas of science and engineering. The executive branch can kindly fuck right off.

  • MyOpinion@lemm.ee
    3·
    10 hours ago

    Why support science when you can support Elon building is compound for all his baby mommies.

  • lemmy_outta_here@lemmy.world
    81·
    16 hours ago

    If you’re an american scientist, please consider moving to Canada. We value knowledge here, and we need your help. When things completely fall apart in the USA, your shithead president will have to start a war to distract from his evil and incompetence. Any expertise you bring (and deny the fascists) will be a great help!