NSF Freezes Grants Amidst Trump's DEI Crackdown
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has frozen all grant payments following executive orders from the Trump administration, sending shockwaves through the US scientific community. The freeze affects both existing grants and new applications, leaving scientists unable to pay bills or continue their research. The orders target NSF's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, conflicting with Congressional mandates for broader participation in science. NSF is reviewing billions of dollars in existing grants for DEI-related activities, a process criticized as wasteful and potentially damaging to US science in the long term. The situation highlights a clash between the administration's policies and the needs of researchers.