California sues federal government over Trump administration cuts to scientific research

California sued the National Science Foundation on Wednesday alongside other states claiming the federal agency illegally cut funding for scientific research in moves that will devastate critical work at universities The lawsuit highlights the work of the NSF an independent agency created by Congress in in making the U S a leader in science equipment engineering and math And it cited a Congressional authorization of NSF funding that called for full use of the human information of the Nation in science and instrument and increased participation in science and system by women and minorities to promote America s national interest Congress has clearly articulated and repeatedly reinforced a comprehensive national program that specifically seeks to increase the participation of women minorities and people with disabilities in STEM stated the lawsuit filed in New York U S District Court And it has directed empowered and funded NSF to carry it out The cuts violate Congress s directives on the NSF and unconstitutionally usurp the power of Congress the lawsuit alleged U S universities have already halted projects across a range of scientific disciplines the lawsuit explained The loss of these projects constrains innovation and slows down the advancement of future proposals that could advance national STEM priorities the lawsuit claimed Cuts for federal research grants have hit Bay Area universities hard with multiple scientists losing or halting projects that had been funded by the NSF and the U S National Institutes of Vitality At San Jose State University the NIH cut a five-year million grant to the U-RISE plan part of a nationwide NIH initiative to help students from underrepresented groups advance through college into graduate biomedical programs UC San Francisco ophthalmology professor Nisha Acharya lost a grant to examination the effects of a shingles vaccine on shingles of the eye The legal action takes aim at an April NSF directive that noted research projects with impact limited to subgroups of people based on protected class or characteristics do not effectuate NSF priorities Related Articles You should wear sunscreen even if you have darker skin Here s why Astronomers discover strange new celestial object in our Milky Way galaxy US peregrine falcons adapt well to city living as their coastal cousins struggle with bird flu Get ready for several years of killer heat top weather forecasters warn SpaceX launches another Starship rocket after back-to-back explosions but it tumbles out of control On the day the directive was issued NSF began issuing termination notices en masse to projects that seek to increase STEM participation by women minorities and people with disabilities that assessment misinformation and that address environmental justice the lawsuit alleged A second target of the lawsuit was NSF s cap communicated May on the share of a grant s funding that can go toward indirect research infrastructure costs such as lab maintenance lighting sponsorship staff and prevention That cap will impact in NSF divesting millions of dollars from the university-driven research Congress has directed it to aid the lawsuit claimed The NSF declined to comment on the lawsuit In an FAQ the agency mentioned it had cut grants that did not align with its goals and priorities including but not limited to those on diversity equity and inclusion DEI environmental justice and misinformation disinformation The lawsuit comes as the Department of Governing body Efficiency created by a Trump executive order and spearheaded by billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk embeds itself in federal agencies including the NSF on a mission to slash spending staff and programs related to diversity racial inequality gender and surroundings change During President Donald Trump s second term California had as of May sued the federal regime times with numerous of the cases claiming his administration and federal agencies were usurping Congressional power During Trump s first term California sued his administration times the state s Attorney General Rob Bonta has commented A evaluation by New York University s law school revealed that Trump s first administration lost of lawsuits filed against it over major federal rule changes Cuts to U S National Institutes of Soundness grants have also raised concerns about the fate of U S scientific research and spawned lawsuits by California and other states Wednesday s lawsuit required the court to throw out the April directive and the indirect-costs cap