Attorney General Ford Sues Trump Administration to Protect Scientific Research and Education Programs

Carson City, NV — Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced he has joined a coalition of 15 other attorneys general on Wednesday, May 28, in suing the Trump administration to stop its illegal attempts to cut critical National Science Foundation (NSF) programs and funding that help maintain the United States’ position as a global leader in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). On April 18, NSF began terminating projects focused on increasing the participation of women, minorities and people with disabilities in STEM fields. On May 2, NSF announced that it would also cap “indirect costs” of research projects like laboratory space, equipment and facility services at 15%. This arbitrary limit on indirect costs would slash millions of dollars for groundbreaking scientific research across the country, jeopardizing national security, the economy and public health. With this lawsuit, AG Ford and the coalition are seeking a court order blocking NSF from eliminating programs promoting diverse participation in STEM and cutting vital funding for research across the country.

"President Trump is violating the law again, this time by trying to block the ability of Nevada scientists and researchers to recoup the necessary costs of their research – research that makes our lives better and our country stronger,” said AG Ford. “In addition to being unlawful, these cuts would cost our academic institutions millions of dollars annually. I have stood against many efforts to attack our educational institutions, and I will continue to do so. Strong Nevada institutions make Nevada stronger as a whole.”

Nevada institutions make use of NSF funding in many ways. For example, in fiscal year 2023, UNR had $19.6 million in federally sponsored research funded by NSF and UNLV had $9.4 million. UNR and UNLV face losses of $3.7 million and $3.2 million annually, respectively, in indirect cost recovery as a result of the proposed cap.

Since its creation in 1950, NSF has been an independent federal agency crucial to maintaining the United States’ dominance in STEM. From developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to creating innovative solutions to environmental and energy challenges, NSF-funded research at American universities is vital to addressing the nation’s biggest challenges and maintaining the country’s competitive edge.

NSF also has a congressionally mandated focus on improving diversity in STEM fields. Congress has instructed in law that a “core strategy” of NSF’s work must be to increase the participation of people who have historically been left out of STEM occupations. This policy has been a success. As the coalition of attorneys general notes, between 1995 and 2017, the number of women in science and engineering occupations, or with science or engineering degrees, has doubled. During that same time, people of color in the same area increased from 15% to 35%. As a result of NSF’s April 18 directive to terminate programs seeking to increase diversity in STEM, dozens of projects have been canceled.

AG Ford and the coalition also assert in the lawsuit that NSF’s directive to cap indirect costs at 15% would devastate scientific research at universities throughout the country. NSF’s new cap would mean essential research and infrastructure would be cut, leading to critical projects being abandoned, staff laid off, and research essential to national security, public health, and economic stability ending. The administration’s unlawful attempts to cap indirect costs at 15% for National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Energy (DOE) grants have already been stopped by courts, in part due to a lawsuit brought by AG Ford and 21 other attorneys general.

AG Ford and the coalition argue that NSF’s directives violate the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution by unlawfully changing NSF policy and ignoring Congress’s intent for how NSF should function. The lawsuit seeks a court order ruling NSF’s new policies are illegal and blocking them from being implemented.

Joining AG Ford in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.

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