The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced on Friday that it is terminating awards and funding opportunities that do not align with the agency’s research priorities under the Trump administration, including research on misinformation and disinformation.
NSF explained that it is required to regularly evaluate its research priorities within the policy framework established by the administration, Congress, and the NSF director.
“Research projects with more narrow impact limited to subgroups of people based on protected class or characteristics do not effectuate NSF priorities,” NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said in a statement.
“NSF will continue to support research with the goal of understanding or addressing participation in STEM, in accordance with all applicable statutes and mandates, with the core goal of creating opportunities for all Americans,” Panchanathan said.
The director’s statement was followed by a list of “frequently asked questions” on the change, which explained that NSF terminated awards “on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and misinformation/disinformation.”
The agency said the decision to terminate research on misinformation and disinformation aligns with the executive order President Donald Trump issued on Jan. 20, entitled “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship.”
“NSF will not support research with the goal of combating ‘misinformation,’ ‘disinformation,’ and ‘malinformation’ that could be used to infringe on the constitutionally protected speech rights of American citizens across the United States in a manner that advances a preferred narrative about significant matters of public debate,” the agency said.
As for the termination of DEI awards, NSF said these projects “do not effectuate NSF priorities” and have a limited impact. NSF said its guidance on broadening participation “applies to all current and future NSF awards.”
However, NSF noted that researchers can still work with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).
“Collaboration and partnerships between and among various types of institutions of higher education (IHEs) as well as cross-sector partnerships involving government, academia, and the private sector remain a top priority,” NSF said.
The agency also explained that researchers can recruit or study individuals based on protected characteristics when doing so is “intrinsic to the research question” and is aligned with agency priorities.
“For example, research on technology to assist individuals with disabilities may be supported even when the research subject recruitment is limited to those with disabilities,” NSF said.