Groups sue science agency over grant terminations

A coalition of groups representing teachers, researchers and educators is suing the National Science Foundation for terminating scientific grants.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, contends that the science agency's moves to terminate more than $1 billion of scientific grants, cooperative agreements and other financial awards at the direction of the Trump administration and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency operation 'violates the separation of powers and is unlawful.'
The science agency — whose broad research funding includes projects at universities, nonprofits and industry — announced earlier this year that it had begun terminating awards 'that are not aligned with NSF's priorities.'
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That change in priorities preceded the termination of 'numerous active grants for projects that seek to expand participation of women and underrepresented groups in STEM as mandated by Congress, along with other basic research projects,' the lawsuit says.

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