Trump's first-term pick to run the National Science Foundation quits: 'I have done all I can'
Source: CNN Science
Updated 8:09 PM EDT, Thu April 24, 2025
CNN — The head of the US National Science Foundation, a $9 billion agency charged with advancing discoveries across the scientific spectrum, resigned Thursday amid sweeping changes spearheaded by the current Trump administration. NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan has led the agency since he was selected by President Donald Trump during his first term and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in June 2020. “I believe I have done all I can to advance the critical mission of the agency and feel that it is time for me to pass the baton to new leadership,” Panchanathan said in parting remarks, which were provided to CNN on Thursday by an agency spokesperson.
The director’s departure comes as the National Science Foundation is grappling with demands from the new Trump administration and DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency, an effort established in January to slash government spending. “This is a pivotal moment for our nation in terms of global competitiveness,” Panchanathan said in the statement. “NSF is an extremely important investment to make U.S. scientific dominance a reality. We must not lose our competitive edge.”
Canceled grants to slash spending
The federal agency announced earlier this month that it would cancel hundreds of grants totaling more than $230 million. The terminations included — but were not limited to — research related to “diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and misinformation/disinformation,” according to information released by the NSF.
The Trump administration issued a series of executive orders earlier this year demanding federal agencies cease activities related to promoting DEI. The canceled grants included those titled with phrases such as “Racial Equity in STEM,” “Antiracist Teacher Leadership” and “Advancing Gender Equity in Computing.”
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/24/science/national-science-foundation-director-resign/index.html