Ongoing Case Challenges Mass Cancellation of 1,600+ Crucial Science Grants Worth More Than $1 Billion 

Washington, D.C. – A district court will allow the mass termination of more than 1,600 grants issued by the National Science Foundation (NSF) worth more than $1 billion, declining to issue a preliminary injunction today in a case brought by a coalition of organizations representing educators and researchers that is challenging the grants cancellations and seeking to prevent a dire threat to American innovation, scientific leadership, economic strength, and national defense.

A legal challenge seeking to stop the NSF grant cancellations was filed in June by 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 and the case is American Association of Physics Teachers, et al. v. NSF, et al.

In response to today’s order, the coalition issued the following statement:

“While we are deeply disappointed in the court’s decision to allow the termination of grants to stand while we argue this case on the merits, we are as united and committed as ever to ultimately winning this case and protecting these important NSF grants. The Trump-Vance administration acted unlawfully when it terminated these crucial grants. It attempted to usurp congressional authority by eliminating funding required by law. This case is not over and we are eager to defend the important role the NSF plays in the daily lives of Americans.”

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 has recognized 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.

After President Trump’s inauguration, staff from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived at NSF. Agency officials soon announced that the agency was “changing its priorities.” This priority change initiated a massive purge of previously awarded grants and other funding assistance, with more than 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 groups argue in their complaint that the sudden change in policy at NSF violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the separation of powers, and due process.

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. 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 order denying the injunction here and the original 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.