AAC&U Joins Legal Challenge to the Termination of Grants by the NSF

Posted by American Association of Colleges and Universities on June 24, 2025

A coalition of organizations representing educators and researchers has filed a legal challenge to the recent mass termination of grants by the National Science Foundation (NSF), a move that threatens American innovation, scientific leadership, economic strength, and national defense. The coalition of plaintiffs includes the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN), American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Association of University Professors (AAUP), and United Auto Workers (UAW) (which represents graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty and university staff working on campuses). The coalition is represented in the matter by Democracy Forward and the Norton Law Firm.

Part of NSF’s congressionally mandated mission is to expand the participation of underrepresented people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs to help maintain American leadership into the future. Congress recognized in legislation that “historically, underrepresented populations are the largest untapped STEM talent pools in the United States,” and Congress has formally declared “that the highest quality science and engineering over the long-term requires substantial support … for increased participation in science and engineering by women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.” Consistent with these laws, NSF has long been a major source of federal funding for scientific research and STEM education.

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