Latest news with #Panchanathan
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
5 National Science Foundation grants to Arkansas universities cut by DOGE
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Four National Science Foundation (NSF) grants to the University of Arkansas and 1 to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock were terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in April. The NSF is a U.S. government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all non-medical fields of science and engineering. Data from the DOGE website shows that over $1.2 million of the awarded $1.49 million (82%) had been expended the across five research projects prior to each of their terminations. The five grant recipients' initiatives span topics including freight planning, hate crime victimization, political policymaking, bodily inflammation's impact on social prejudice and promoting diversity in geosciences through a STEM conference. 12 Department of Health and Human Services grants terminated in Arkansas On April 21, NSF Director Panchanathan said the agency still supports research on broadening participation, but that this support 'should not preference some groups at the expense of others, or directly/indirectly exclude individuals or groups,' the Associated Press reported. Less than a week later, he resigned. While the NSF did not disclose to the Associated Press how many grants were cut, DOGE claimed 402 DEI-related grants worth $233 million were canceled. The Associated Press contributed to this report Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
India.com
27-04-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Who is Sethuraman Panchanathan? Trump-appointed Indian-origin NSF director resigns, issues statement, says…
Sethuraman Panchanathan New Delhi: Sethuraman Panchanathan, the Indian-origin director of the United States' National Science Foundation (NSF), has resigned from his post. Appointed by President Donald Trump in 2020, Panchanathan decided to step down as the NSF faced strong criticism over budget cuts, job layoffs, and pressure around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. The cuts were mainly pushed by the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk. In a memo to NSF employees on April 24, Panchanathan announced his resignation. According to MSNBC, it came as a shock to many staff members. Earlier, Panchanathan had defended the changes happening at the NSF. But soon after, he quit, saying he had 'done all I can do'. In his message, he said, 'I believe that I have done all I can to advance the mission of the agency and feel that it is time for me to pass the baton to new leadership. This is a pivotal moment for our nation in terms of global competitiveness. NSF is an extremely important investment to make US scientific dominance a reality. We must not lose our competitive edge.' Who is Sethuraman Panchanathan? Panchanathan was chosen as the 15th director of the NSF and was supposed to serve until 2026. Soon after taking charge, he focused on three big goals: promoting future research, ensuring inclusivity, and keeping America's global leadership in science and engineering strong. Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in 1960, Panchanathan studied in India and later moved to Canada for higher education. He completed his and in India and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa. He studied at famous institutions like IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore, and Vivekananda College under Madras University. In 2015, the Indian government honored him with the Padma Shri, the country's fourth-highest civilian award. Glimpse of his career background Panchanathan's career has been full of achievements. He started as an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa in 1989 and became an associate professor in 1994. In 1997, he moved to Arizona State University (ASU), where he later became a full professor. In 2001, he founded the Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing (CUbiC). His work earned him fellowships from respected organizations like IEEE, the National Academy of Inventors, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Before leaving ASU in 2016, he served as the executive vice president of Knowledge Enterprise Development and as the chief research and innovation officer. Panchanathan was first nominated to the NSF's National Science Board in 2014 by former President Barack Obama. Later, President Trump selected him as NSF director, and he officially took office on June 23, 2020. He became only the second Indian-American to lead the NSF after Dr. Subra Suresh. Understanding NSF: What does it do? What are the challenges? The National Science Foundation (NSF), created in 1950, manages a $9 billion federal budget that supports professors, young researchers, and scientific projects across the country. It plays a major role in making advanced scientific discovery and innovation in the United States. Recently, however, the NSF has been facing serious challenges. The newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has criticized many of the NSF's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, calling them wasteful. In April, the NSF announced it would be canceling hundreds of research grants, cutting more than $230 million in funding. Reports suggest that over 380 grant projects have already been dropped. DOGE posted on X that 402 DEI grants worth $233 million were canceled, but the NSF has not confirmed the exact figures. So far, the foundation has also remained silent on whether more cuts will happen in the future.
India Today
27-04-2025
- Science
- India Today
Who is Sethuraman Panchanathan? NSF chief resigns amid Trump's funding cuts
Indian-origin US scientist Sethuraman Panchanathan, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2020, has stepped down as Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), cutting short his six-year term with just over a year remaining. His resignation comes at a time of political headwinds and deep federal cuts targeting agency budgets and the broader federal an all-staff memo, Panchanathan stated, "I believe I have done all I can to advance the mission of the agency and feel that it is time for me to pass the baton to new leadership."advertisementALSO READ: Trump's funding cuts push US researchers to Europe, reversing 20th-century trend While he did not explicitly cite reasons, the timing coincides with mounting pressure from the Trump administration to slash NSF's USD 9 billion annual budget, scale down staffing, and cut funding for programs aligned with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) — priorities Panchanathan strongly is Sethuraman Panchanathan?Born and raised in Chennai, India, Panchanathan is an alumnus of Vivekananda College, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and IIT Madras, where he completed his and before earning his Ph.D. in early academic focus blossomed into pioneering work in assistive and rehabilitative technologies, human-centered multimedia computing, and haptic user leading the NSF, Panchanathan served as Executive Vice President at Arizona State University, where he also founded the Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing (CUbiC). His work earned wide acclaim, including for developing technology that improved accessibility for individuals with by President Trump in 2020, Panchanathan's leadership at NSF saw deepened international collaborations, notably the 2023 US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging his initial appointment under a Republican administration, his strong advocacy for inclusive science and global research partnerships increasingly clashed with a shifting political climate that viewed many of NSF's initiatives as wasteful.
Epoch Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
National Science Foundation Director Resigns
Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), resigned on Thursday after more than five years at the helm of the agency responsible for distributing billions of dollars in scientific research funding. 'I believe that I have done all I can to advance the mission of the agency and feel that it is time to pass the baton to new leadership,' Panchanathan, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019 and confirmed by the Senate in 2020 to a six-year term, wrote in his Brian Stone, Panchanathan's chief of staff, will serve as an interim director until a permanent successor is appointed. While Panchanathan did not offer a detailed explanation for his departure, it comes amid an internal overhaul at the NSF. The agency has recently laid off staff, canceled grants, and imposed travel restrictions, as part of a wider effort across the federal government to get rid of bloat and reduce spending. 'This is a pivotal moment for our nation in terms of global competitiveness,' his letter reads. 'A thoughtful approach to efficiencies and investments is incredibly important.' Last week, the NSF announced sweeping changes to its research funding priorities, aligning with the Trump administration's orders to stop federal dollars from flowing into diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that run afoul of federal anti-discrimination laws. Related Stories 4/25/2025 4/24/2025 As part of that shift, the NSF terminated funding for projects aimed at increasing participation of women and racial minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), stating that such efforts no longer align with the agency's mission. 'Research projects with more narrow impact limited to subgroups of people based on protected class or characteristics do not effectuate NSF priorities,' Panchanathan said in a An accompanying FAQ further clarified the NSF's revised policy, noting that the agency 'will not support research with the goal of combating 'misinformation,' 'disinformation,' and 'malinformation,'' as it would 'unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.' All awards deemed inconsistent with the new criteria have been terminated, according to the document. Neither Panchanathan's statement nor the FAQ specified how many grants were affected or the total dollar amount. However, the Department of Government Efficiency, which is spearheading the government-wide debloating effort, These changes come amid heightened scrutiny of the agency by Congress. In February, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) Among those NSF grants the senator highlighted was a $1,034,751 award in 2023 to Northwestern University for a project that aims to 'reimagine' STEM education through a 'racial equity' framework. He also cited a $99,791 grant to the Georgia Institute of Technology for a project addressing 'racialized privilege in the STEM classroom.' In another example, the NSF in 2022 awarded $401,744 to San José State University for an ongoing initiative to train teachers and students as 'climate justice action researchers and change agents.' 'DEI initiatives have poisoned research efforts, eroded confidence in the scientific community, and fueled division among Americans,' Cruz, who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, said in a statement. 'Congress must end the politicization of NSF funding and restore integrity to scientific research.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump-appointed head of National Science Foundation resigns: ‘I have done all I can'
The Trump-appointed head of the National Science Foundation abruptly resigned on Thursday, telling staff that he's 'done all I can do to advance the mission of the agency.' Sethuraman Panchanathan's departure as foundation director comes during a tumultuous time for federal agencies, as the quasi-governmental Department of Government Efficiency pushes for deep cuts to the federal workforce and funding for various agency projects. In a statement about his resignation Thursday, Panchanathan — who was appointed in 2020 during Trump's first administration to a six-year term — did not speak directly to DOGE's efforts, though he noted that NSF 'must not lose our competitive edge.' 'I believe that I have done all I can to advance the mission of the agency and feel that it is time for me to pass the baton to new leadership,' Panchanathan said. He added: 'This is a pivotal moment for our nation in terms of global competitiveness. NSF is an extremely important investment to make U.S. scientific dominance a reality. We must not lose our competitive edge.' The National Science Foundation, which seeks to bolster national security through the advancement of scientific research and education, announced this month that it would cancel hundreds of grants totaling more than $230 million, CNN reported. In a statement describing agency 'updates' last week, the foundation said the types of grants being eliminated 'are not aligned with NSF's priorities.' Those include but are 'not limited to those on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and misinformation/disinformation,' according to the statement. This article was originally published on
