Judge allows Trump to cut more than $1bn in National Science Foundation grants
Source: The Guardian
Thu 11 Sep 2025 12.36 EDT
Last modified on Thu 11 Sep 2025 13.37 EDT
The Trump administration can go ahead and purge more than 1,600 research grants issued by National Science Foundation (NSF) worth more than $1bn, after a judge declined to grant a preliminary injunction in a case brought by a coalition of organizations representing thousands of scientists.
The NSF is the premier federal investor in basic and cutting-edge science and engineering, which until Trumps second term enjoyed bipartisan support, with the agencys independent review process revered globally as the gold standard. Shortly after the presidents inauguration, the so-called department of government efficiency (Doge) led by the billionaire Trump donor Elon Musk was given free rein to overhaul the NSF to comply with what the administration said were its changing priorities.
Doge inflicted widespread and chaotic cuts to NSF staff, programs and research grants particularly targeting grants that complied with congressional mandates to improve participation by women, people of color and people with disabilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem).
The congressional push to improve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in science and engineering was designed to nurture and attract untapped talent in marginalized communities, in order to boost American innovation, the economy and national defense.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/11/trump-national-science-foundation-grants-ruling
Link to RULING (PDF) - https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/045111622980.pdf
RELATED - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143482729

orangecrush
(26,691 posts)riversedge
(77,746 posts)ProfessorGAC
(74,417 posts)How could loss of a billion dollars in grants not cause irreparable harm to these projects?
There may be some legal arcana involved but that was the stated reason.
AZJonnie
(1,476 posts)I don't think this is the 'final answer' on the topic though fortunately. I think the context is that plaintiffs would not be irreparably harmed without injunctive relief at this moment. Which I disagree with based on my limited understanding re: how such things work, but of course INAL.
Hopefully one of our many real-life lawyers on DU will soon come round and fill us in on the deets
onenote
(45,636 posts)The court ruled that it was bound by precedent to find that it lacked jurisdiction over the suit to the extent it sought monetary relief relating to past grants -- such cases are contractual in nature and must be considered by the Federal Court of Claims, not the District Court. The irreparable harm analysis did not have anything to do with the billion dollars in grants that were retrospectively voided.
I read the article. I don't really care about the details.
If it was really that, then the article was horribly misleading because the stated reason (for the second time) is vacuous.
If the judges used thar reason, they are idiots. If they didn't but it was reported as it was, the author is an idiot.
I shouldn't have to review an entire judicial decision to avoid being misinformed.
Did you bother to write the author to tell them the mistated the reasons?
I didn't think so.
Response to ProfessorGAC (Reply #35)
onenote This message was self-deleted by its author.
onenote
(45,636 posts)As I noted the decision distinguishes between two sets of claims brought by the plaintiffs. The first claim challenged the decision to purge a billion dollars in previously authorized grants. That claim was dismissed not because the loss of those previous grants was not irreparable harm. It was dismissed because consistent with established precedent, the district court lacks jurisdiction to hear that claim, which should have been filed with the federal court of claims. So the district court never opined on the irreparable harm issue as it relates to the prior grants.
The second claim asserted by the plaintiffs challenged the revision of the procedures and standards to be applied in assessing future grants. That prospective claim was properly presented to the district court. But, not surprisingly, the court couldnt find irreparable harm since the procedures apply to grants that havent yet been sought and that may or may not be denied.
The article made this distinction clearquoting the opinion as follows: The Court finds that it likely lacks jurisdiction over Plaintiffs retrospective APA claims
[and] Plaintiffs have failed to show irreparable harm flowing from their prospective APA claims and have not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of their constitutional claims,
So youre right I didnt write to the author since the article wasnt misleading
ProfessorGAC
(74,417 posts)You've been wrong before. You'll get over it.
And this conversation long ago became boring.
Response to ProfessorGAC (Reply #38)
onenote This message was self-deleted by its author.
onenote
(45,636 posts)M sure you think youre clever. Also not.
Irish_Dem
(74,729 posts)Or both?
AZJonnie
(1,476 posts)
Irish_Dem
(74,729 posts)And being blackmailed.
AZJonnie
(1,476 posts)We don't need to rehash
I don't think this female Biden appointee would be one, but sure, maybe some!
Irish_Dem
(74,729 posts)Women have husbands, sons, brothers.
AZJonnie
(1,476 posts)Than I am to believe in dead pedo scumbag tentacles, and leave it at that
Irish_Dem
(74,729 posts)Polybius
(20,848 posts)That would make her an excellent judge.
Irish_Dem
(74,729 posts)And against WE THE PEOPLE.
orleans
(36,409 posts)AZJonnie
(1,476 posts)Like, is that still held up by the courts, or did the regime manage to get their way on that one in the interim? I'm wondering if this is actually a 'double-whammy', grants cuts + admin fee cuts?
Disappointed to see that the judge in this case is a Biden appointee (Jia M. Cobb).
I bet both Xi and Putin are pleased as punch the the US is forfeiting it's scientific leadership under IQ47
BumRushDaShow
(160,061 posts)I saw threads for the "related" one that was filed in Boston and I haven't seen any updates to that since June. That "related" one was filed a month before the OP's case. So I'm guessing the stay is still in place for that "related" one.
AZJonnie
(1,476 posts)Because the 15% cap will probably cause a lot of grantees to just go "welp, we simply cannot do this science if the cap is that low, we'll lose too much money". I suspect it would have a big ripple effect that exceeds the actual $ amount difference between 15% and the previous allotments, which I've read have been up to 50% in the past.
From what I've read, "administrative costs" in this context does not just mean "paying the pencil pushers and bureaucrats", it includes like buying equipment needed to do the science, paying the labs power bill, all sorts of stuff.
Are we great again yet?
FakeNoose
(38,620 posts)Link to ruling: https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/045111622980.pdf
(This downloads a PDF document)

miyazaki
(2,532 posts)An indefinite amount of time.
orleans
(36,409 posts)AZJonnie
(1,476 posts)Her early legal career included clerking for Judge Diane Wood on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She then worked as a trial attorney with the District of Columbia Public Defender Service from 2006 to 2012, later joining the civil rights law firm Relman Colfax, where she became a partner. Cobb also taught law at both the Washington College of Law and Harvard Law School.
President Joe Biden nominated her to the federal bench in June 2021, and she was confirmed by the Senate in October 2021, succeeding Judge Emmet G. Sullivan. She assumed her commission in November 2021. Cobb is recognized for her extensive background in both criminal defense and civil rights law.
I suspect it's probably a legally sound opinion, even if we don't like it

It is also thankfully (I think) not the final word on the subject, she simply declined to issue an immediate injunction, if I understand how these things work at all (which I might not

onenote
(45,636 posts)I'm curious as to how you would respond to the court's legal reasoning, since you think the judge was "stupid."
DrFunkenstein
(8,832 posts)It all balances out on the scales of justice.
iemanja
(56,683 posts)If I tried to get out of a contact, the court would make me pay.
onenote
(45,636 posts)And as a contract based claim, the plaintiffs need to bring their lawsuit to the Federal Court of Claims.
kyburbonkid
(263 posts)Let's parse this: preference some groups at the expense of others and would no longer support [r]esearch
projects with more narrow impact limited to subgroups of people based on protected class or
characteristics. OK, so subgroup based on protected class, basically DEI shit. So in "STUPID AMERICA", which this administration obviously wants, the Merits don't matter? Yep. That is the rule. Oh, and if it's a race
"out of bounds" to the incoherent color-mindedness of this admin, no funding for you! I would hate to be the professor telling his just-married Grad student (from the newly tariffed country X) with his first child (US BORN), "I'm sorry we didn't get the funding that was supposed to be funded". This shit is just wrong, man.
J_William_Ryan
(2,999 posts)Yes, and thats not the point.
The point is that any president would be so reckless and irresponsible to do such a thing.
kyburbonkid
(263 posts)Yes sir, about half. And with the trog we have as president (and republican party) so destructive to our Union, that even simple science funding is under pressure. But yes; "Other statutory provisions also require the Foundation to support underrepresented groups in STEM fields" ... that says it all IMHO.
Conjuay
(2,668 posts)Before I find the Judges name?
They're real quick to publish the names of those who oppose their bullshit, Who is this judge?
BumRushDaShow
(160,061 posts)Vinca
(52,679 posts)GiqueCee
(2,823 posts)... very concise explanation of the legal premise for the decision. As unspeakably despicable as Trump's actions regarding scientific research and everything else that evil sonofabitch does it appears that the fault lies not with the judge, but with the plaintiff's lawyers, who should have known better than to bring the case before a judge who has no legal jurisdiction in a case of this sort.
wolfie001
(6,119 posts)Let's shovel any extra cash into the arms of the billionaire class. Great idea stupid mf'ers.