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The general prosecutors of 16 American states mainly controlled by democrats has filed a legal action Against the Trump administration on Wednesday, arguing that some of the federal government attempts to interrupt the national science foundation’s research programs are illegal.
The pursuit, filed at the Federal Court on Wednesday afternoon, asked a judge to end the NSF policies which interrupt millions of dollars in research.
This decision comes after the NSF announced in April that it would delete Hundreds of subsidies – mainly linked to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) and research on disinformation – which amounted to more than $ 230 million. Cancellations have since been mounted, which has so far concerned a total of 1,753 subsidies worth almost $ 1.4 billion in many areas of research, according to NSF data.
Neither the National Science Foundation nor the White House responded to a request for comments.
The agency also announced a new policy in May which caps up how many researchers can spend on “indirect costs”, which include operating expenses such as the use of laboratories, safety and equipment programs, at 15%. (The ceiling is currently socket Until June 13, pending a legal hearing.)
The general prosecutors argue that such a policy “would reduce millions of dollars for revolutionary scientific research across the country, compromising national security, the economy and public health”, according to a press release From the Attorney General of New York State, Letitia James, who flows the trial with the attorney general of the State of Hawaii, Anne Lopez.
The Coalition trial also argues that the Trump administration’s efforts to close the research related to diversity are illegal. The NSF “has focused on the congress on the improvement of diversity in the STEM fields”, according to the press release from the James office. “The Congress asked the law that a” basic strategy “of NSF’s work is to strengthen the participation of people who have historically been excluded from the STEM professions.”
A federal law states That the National Science Foundation should work to increase the “participation of women and individuals of under-represented groups in STEM”.
The new trial argues that the recent directives of the NSF “violate the law on administrative procedure and the constitution by illegally modifying the NSF policy and ignoring the intention of the Congress for the functioning of the NSF”, according to the press release. “The trial requests an order from the court which leads NSF’s new policies is illegal and prevent them from implementing.”
The National Science Foundation is an agency of $ 9 billion responsible for advancing the discoveries through the scientific spectrum, largely by assessing the scientific merit of subsidies of grants and distributing dollars, mainly to universities and other research institutions.
The agency staff have been requested in recent weeks to ensure that financing requests comply with Trump’s decrees that have sought to dismantle the activities related to the DEIA and a “freedom of expression” directive which supports efforts to combat disinformation can be “used for infringement of speaking rights protected by the constitution of American citizens in the United States”.
Many researchers, stakeholders and institutions This work with the NSF has criticized new politicians.
The Federation of Associations in Behavior and Brain Sciences, for example, said in a April 24 on April 24 statement That the directives of the Trump administration have placed scientists in the “middle of a political rope, wasting precious time and resources”.
Former Director of the NSF, Sethuraman Panchanathan, who was operated to lead the agency during Trump’s first mandate, also resigned at the end of April to 16 months before the end of his mandate.
“I think I have done everything I can to advance the critical mission of the agency and think that it is time for me to spend the stick to a new leadership,” said Panchanathan on April 24 in the separation remarks, which were supplied to CNN by an agency spokesperson.
The White House offered a 55% budget drop for the NSF, and the agency could face radical layoffs.
The Coalition of States continuing the Trump administration on NSF changes includes New York, Calorado, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode island, Wisconsin and Washington.
The trial reflects another filed on May 5 by 19 states and Washington, DC, against the Trump administration for allegedly socket “A demolition ball at the Ministry of Health and Social Services.”
The Trump administration had announced at the end of March planned to reduce certain discretionary federal health expenses and transform several health agencies. Restructuring plans include the consolidation of the 28 HHS agencies in 15 new divisions, including the administration of a healthy America.
The HHS modifications trial alleges that the impacts of the restructuring have already been harmful, which has led to the closure of certain HHS regional offices which provide services to low -income families, disabled children, young people who experience roaming and preschool development programs.