The Trump administration’s National Science Foundation (NSF) has begun dismantling the infrastructure of a $368 million deep-ocean observing program critical to monitoring marine ecosystems, global currents, marine heat waves, and more, according to a 21 May announcement.
science policy
Judge Blocks NSF From Dismantling NCAR
“NSF’s failure to provide any explanation for its decision—let alone a reasonable one—thwarts meaningful judicial review and renders the challenged action arbitrary and capricious,” the judge wrote.
White House Proposes Sweeping Changes to Grantmaking Process
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed a new rule on 28 May that, if finalized, would give political appointees approval power over scientific grants, reduce support for international collaboration, limit funding for publication fees, and make other extensive alterations to the federal government’s funding review process.
The 50-Hour Livestream That Aims to #SaveAmericasForecasts
This week, a parade of scientists will spend 50 hours straight speaking about the importance of weather and climate research in the United States.
Repairing the Ozone Layer May Take Longer Than Expected
A new study reveals that if left unchecked, unaccounted-for emissions of ozone-harming substances could delay the layer’s full recovery by almost a decade.
The Governance Gap Threatening Long-Term Ecological Archives
To save multigenerational science from administrative indifference, we must mandate stewardship continuity before closing physical facilities.
NASA Announces “Realignment” Toward Human Spaceflight
NASA announced an agencywide realignment that includes combining related mission directorates to sharpen the agency’s focus on human spaceflight.
Why the IPCC Seems Poised to Eliminate Its Most Extreme Emissions Scenario
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body whose mission is to “provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies” will likely update the emissions and land use scenarios used in the models it considers in its bellwether assessment reports.
The Global Impact of Losing U.S. Sea Level Science
Cuts to climate science risk halting or even erasing decades of progress in global change research—just as risks from rising seas demand better data, informed decisionmaking, and faster action.
NSF Eliminates Geoscience Postdocs
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has eliminated its postdoctoral fellowship funding for Earth scientists.
