Grants funds for scientific research withheld by court order for the National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is currently prioritizing identity security as a core component of its cybersecurity strategies, as outlined in a proactive approach to embedding identity security within the organization's processes. This emphasis is reflected in the NSF's mandate for research security training for key personnel, which covers cybersecurity and includes continuous oversight to reduce risks associated with international collaboration and foreign interference[1].
The zero trust architecture concept, relying on continuous authentication and strict identity verification, is being adopted more broadly across sectors to combat sophisticated cyber threats. Governments and agencies, including NSF-aligned research efforts, support developing identity-driven security measures and automated policy compliance systems that enforce access controls and minimize insider threats[2].
Recent executive orders highlight the importance of defending digital infrastructure by improving cybersecurity frameworks through centralized efforts at the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, under Commerce and Homeland Security leadership. This includes updates to security standards, secure software frameworks, and emerging tech like AI for vulnerability management, all underpinned by strong identity and access management (IAM) principles relevant to zero trust[3].
However, the NSF is currently embroiled in a legal battle. In April, the NSF announced a new set of priorities and began axing hundreds of grants for research focused on various topics, including misinformation, diversity, equity, and inclusion, artificial intelligence, PTSD in veterans, STEM education for K-12 students, and more[4]. This move has led to a lawsuit brought by sixteen Democrat-led states, including New York, Hawaii, California, Colorado, and Connecticut, alleging that the science foundation's funding cuts violate the law[5].
The lawsuit claims that the science foundation's funding cuts halted efforts to train the next generation of scientists in fields like computer science, math, and environmental science, among others[6]. The NSF has been directed by Congress to encourage underrepresented groups like women and people with disabilities to participate in STEM[7].
Despite the lawsuit, the states' claims that all funding for expanding representation in STEM has been halted is not accurate. The University of Northern Colorado, for instance, lost funding for only one of its nine programs focused on increasing participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields[8].
U.S. District Judge John Cronan declined to force the NSF to restart payments immediately, stating that the states failed to show that NSF's actions were counter to the agency's mandate[9]. Adam Gitlin, an attorney for the NSF, stated during the hearing that the plaintiff states are trying to "substitute their own judgement for the judgement of the agency"[10].
The NSF declined to comment on the ongoing litigation, and researchers who lost funding were not given a specific explanation for why their grants were canceled[11]. The NSF's current priorities aim to "create opportunities for all Americans everywhere" and not to preference some groups at the expense of others[12].
Spokespeople from the New York and Hawaii attorney general offices have stated that the states are reviewing the decision[13]. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation[14]. The AP is solely responsible for all content in this article.
[1] https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/rst/start/index.jsp [2] https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/policy/2021/02/zero-trust-architecture-is-becoming-standard-government-cybersecurity/173656/ [3] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/05/12/executive-order-improving-the-nation-s-cybersecurity/ [4] https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/04/nsf-cuts-funding-research-misinformation-diversity-and-inclusion-and-more [5] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/21/us/politics/nsf-grant-lawsuit.html [6] https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/05/nsf-cuts-funding-research-misinformation-diversity-and-inclusion-and-more [7] https://www.nsf.gov/od/iia/resources/congressional_testimony/2021/nsf_testimony_congressional_testimony_052621.jsp [8] https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/05/nsf-cuts-funding-research-misinformation-diversity-and-inclusion-and-more [9] https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/05/nsf-cuts-funding-research-misinformation-diversity-and-inclusion-and-more [10] https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/05/nsf-cuts-funding-research-misinformation-diversity-and-inclusion-and-more [11] https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/05/nsf-cuts-funding-research-misinformation-diversity-and-inclusion-and-more [12] https://www.nsf.gov/od/iia/resources/congressional_testimony/2021/nsf_testimony_congressional_testimony_052621.jsp [13] https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/05/nsf-cuts-funding-research-misinformation-diversity-and-inclusion-and-more [14] https://www.ap.org/about/leadership/bureaus/health-science/
Finance ministries and policymakers are closely monitoring the ongoing legal battle between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Democrat-led states, acknowledging its potential implications for research funding and the future of STEM education. In light of the issues at hand, the need for robust identity and access management (IAM) principles in cybersecurity, as prioritized by the NSF, assumes increased importance in safeguarding digital infrastructure and research data from potential threats.
