Donald Trump’s OG science guy just threw in the towel after sharp spending cuts under the new Trump administration.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Sethuraman Panchanathan, nominated by Trump during his first presidency in 2019, still had over a year left of his term. But it seems Trump’s second-term agenda might have been too much to stomach, and the Indian-American computer scientist announced his resignation on Thursday afternoon.
“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,” he said in a parting statement.
His departure coincides with painful federal spending cuts driven by Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Elon Musk-led task force set up to reshape the federal bureaucracy.
The advisory body’s reforms have resulted in mass layoffs and grant cuts at federal agencies—including NSF grants worth more than $230 million.
The NSF sacked 168 workers, or about 10 percent of its workforce, via a Zoom call on Feb. 18. Panchanathan reinstated 84 of them a fortnight later after legal challenges and “updated guidance” from the White House Office of Personnel Management, The Register reported.
The NSF, which had a $9.06 billion budget last year, is an independent federal agency and the only one tasked with advancing all fields of scientific discovery, technological innovation and science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, per its website.
Its affected grants included those related to “diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and misinformation/disinformation, and some titled “Racial Equity in STEM,” “Antiracist Teacher Leadership” and “Advancing Gender Equity in Computing.”
It’s part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to dismantle DEI programs.
The reforms have sparked backlash from stakeholders and research organizations, according to CNN.
NSF said in a statement on April 24 that it had a “rough couple of weeks” dealing with the Trump-triggered shakeup.
“Until early April, NSF had managed to avoid the level of destruction and politicization that the science community was witnessing,” the agency said.
Panchanathan said he came to NSF “inspired by its mission, with a desire to serve the scientific community alongside the exceptional people of the agency.
“This has motivated me every day over the last five years. I have always believed that innovation and opportunities must be unleashed everywhere at speed and scale, thereby nurturing talent in every corner of our great nation. This will ensure we remain competitive and innovative on a global scale.”
“This is a pivotal moment for our nation in terms of global competitiveness,” Panchanathan continued. “NSF is an extremely important investment to make U.S. scientific.”
He concluded by thanking both Trump and his predecessor President Joe Biden for the opportunity to serve.
For the time being, the agency will be headed by Brian Stone, his chief of staff, Politico reported.
DOGE claims to have slashed $160 billion in wasteful spending since Trump returned to office on Jan. 20.
The post Trump’s OG Science Guy Quits Abruptly as DOGE Wields Scalpel: ‘Done All I Can’ appeared first on The Daily Beast.
