The NSF is an independent federal agency established by Congress in 1950 to support the advancement and development of science and engineering across the country. 

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, and cloud computing. To date, NSF has supported 268 Nobel laureates during—and sometimes throughout—their careers. 

An aspect of NSF’s congressionally mandated mission includes expanding the participation of underrepresented people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs to help maintain American leadership into the future. Congress recognized through law 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.

However, after President Trump took office, the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) staff arrived at NSF, and the agency announced that it was suddenly “changing its priorities.” 

This priority change initiated a mass cancellation of previously awarded grants and other funding assistance, with 1,600 grants worth $1 billion eliminated, many of them aimed at improving participation by women, minorities, and people with disabilities in STEM fields.

On June 18, 2025, a coalition of organizations advocating on behalf of educators and researchers, represented by Democracy Forward and Norton Law Firm, filed a lawsuit against the unlawful mass termination of grants. The groups argued that the sudden change in policy at NSF violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the separation of powers, due process, and unlawfully withheld agency actions. 

Timeline

• June 18, 2025 — Complaint in the District Court for the District of Columbia against the NSF seeking to stop the cancellation of 1,600+ STEM grants.
• June 23, 2025 — Motion for preliminary injunction filed.

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).

The case is American Association of Physics Teachers v. National Science Foundation.