Organizations Representing Educators and Researchers Unite to Stop Trump Threats to Agency Dedicated to the Advancement of Science 

Washington, D.C. – A coalition of organizations representing educators and researchers has filed a legal challenge to the recent mass termination of grants by the National Science Foundation (NSF), a move that threatens American innovation, scientific leadership, economic strength, and national defense. The coalition of plaintiffs includes the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN), American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Association of University Professors (AAUP), and United Auto Workers (UAW) (which represents graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty and university staff working on campuses). The coalition is represented in the matter by Democracy Forward and the Norton Law Firm. 

Part of NSF’s congressionally mandated mission is to expand the participation of underrepresented people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs to help maintain American leadership into the future. Congress recognized in legislation that “historically, underrepresented populations are the largest untapped STEM talent pools in the United States,” and Congress has formally declared “that the highest quality science and engineering over the long-term requires substantial support … for increased participation in science and engineering by women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.” Consistent with these laws, NSF has long been a major source of federal funding for scientific research and STEM education.

The agency came under threat after Trump’s inauguration, however, when DOGE staff arrived at NSF and the agency announced that it was suddenly “changing its priorities.” This priority change initiated a massive purge of previously awarded grants and other funding assistance, with 1,600 grants worth $1 billion eliminated. While the cancelled grants address a wide range of subject matters, many of them implement Congressional mandates to improve participation by women, minorities, and people with disabilities in STEM fields.

“The NSF’s abrupt termination of existing grant awards halts progress on several AAC&U initiatives that are central to our mission of advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education,” said Lynn Pasquerella, President of AAC&U. “Much of the affected programming was developed through a long history of partnership between AAC&U and the NSF, grounded in a shared commitment to research and to expanding the participation of underrepresented populations in STEM fields. This loss of funding will have a direct, negative impact on faculty, students, and the future of undergraduate STEM education in the United States.”

“The sudden cancellation of AAPT’s and our members’ grants take away opportunities to advance physics education and undermines STEM education in the U.S.  This is a profound setback, not just for our community of dedicated educators, researchers, and promising students, but for the very future of scientific innovation and competitiveness,” said Beth A. Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer of AAPT.  “The cancelled NSF grants funded programs that allowed AAPT and its members to create learning environments where everyone can thrive. By joining this coalition, we are advocating for the success of the entire physics ecosystem.”

“Many, many of our members; and the progress of science more broadly are harmed by grant terminations that cut off in droves significant NSF peer reviewed studies,” said Felice J. Levine, Executive Director of AERA. “The loss of this investment and NSF’s brazen departure from Congressionally mandated requirements to build an inclusive STEM workforce are a tragedy that, if sustained, will simply set American scientific research, innovation, and progress back for decades.”

“Since its inception over thirty years ago, WEPAN has worked with institutions of higher education, corporations, and engineering societies to broaden participation in STEM, and our work has been integral to raising standards of excellence across the engineering fields and beyond,” said Rochelle L. Williams, WEPAN Board President. “Evidence-based advocacy has always been a central part of achieving our mission, and joining this coalition is a natural evolution of that advocacy.”

“The abrupt cancellation of these grants damages critical research in American higher education and has repercussions far beyond academia.  The slashing of vital research is devastating to our communities and will stunt the development of the next generation of scientists,” said Todd Wolfson, AAUP President. 

“I serve as the Postdoctoral Scholar for UC Irvine’s Climate Justice Initiative (“CJI”), an interdisciplinary research and training program designed to address climate change by combining scientific inquiry with community-based approaches,” said James Adams, a member of UAW 4811. “On April 18th, 2025, my institution received notice from the NSF that the grant was terminated effective immediately because the grant ‘no longer effectuates agency priorities.’ The inability to complete our work means that the scientific community will lose out on community-driven solutions to pressing issues including air quality monitoring in places impacted by freeways and heavy industry and bioremediation of local soil from heavy metals such as lead.”

The groups argue in their complaint that the sudden change in policy at NSF violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the separation of powers, due process, and unlawfully withheld agency actions. 

“DOGE’s undermining of valuable grants to spur American innovation and excellence is yet another attack on equity that undermines what makes America great,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Cancelling grants without any reasoning, rationale, or due process is unlawful. Cancelling grants that fund Congressionally-mandated programs violates the separation of powers and is unlawful. We are honored to work with these brave educators, researchers, and unions to defend the National Science Foundation and the important role it plays in the daily lives of every American.”  

Nathan Walker, a partner with the Norton Law Firm and co-counsel with Democracy Forward in the representation of the Plaintiffs, said, “NSF’s mass termination of active grants violates the congressional statutes governing NSF, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Constitution. The terminations are politicizing science and are causing real and irreparable harm to our clients, their members, and the advancement of research and education.  Plaintiffs are asking the Court to declare the terminations unlawful and set them aside.  Our firm is honored to represent Plaintiffs in this case.”    

Americans rely every day on technology that NSF-funded research and researchers helped create, from the Internet to artificial intelligence to magnetic resonance imaging. The NSF has made America an international leader in innovation and has helped attract top global talent to the United States. 

The NSF is an independent federal agency created in 1950 to support research and development, so that the United States could earn its place at the forefront of the international community’s drive for innovation. NSF-funded research and researchers have contributed to breakthroughs that improve the lives of Americans and others around the world every day, including the internet, nanotechnology, fiber optics, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and MRI and fMRI technology. To date, NSF has supported 268 Nobel laureates during—and sometimes throughout—their careers. 

The legal team at Democracy Forward on this case includes Steven Bressler and Tsuki Hoshijima. 

Read the complaint here. 

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Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org. 

The Norton Law Firm PC is a litigation boutique in Oakland, California, representing plaintiffs and defendants in high stakes civil disputes. For more information, please visit www.nortonlaw.com.