Maryland sues Trump administration again, this time challenging scientific program cuts

Maryland has joined another lawsuit by multiple states against the Trump administration, this time trying to block its threatened cuts to scientific research.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New York, also alleges that the National Science Foundation seeks to eliminate programs designed to increase participation by women and “individuals from underrepresented groups” in science, technology, engineering and math fields, or STEM.

Between 1995 and 2017, under congressionally approved national policy, minority representation in those fields rose from 15% to 35%, the states’ suit says. But in an April 18 statement, the NSF announced that “research projects with more narrow impact, limited to subgroups of people based on protected class or characteristics do not effectuate NSF priorities.”

On that same day, the suit said, the foundation issued termination notices for projects that “seek to increase STEM participation by women, minorities, and people with disabilities; that study misinformation; and that address environmental justice.” It also applied an “arbitrary” 15% cap on indirect costs for projects, such as lab space, custodial services, biomedical disposal and administrative functions.

“Institutions will not be able to maintain essential research infrastructure and will be forced to significantly scale back or halt research, abandon numerous projects, and lay off staff,” the lawsuit says.

Maryland, other states, take more legal actions against Trump administration

Colleges and universities are already feeling the impact. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement that the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, has lost nearly $5 million from seven programs that supported fellows, faculty diversification and research. Bowie State University, one of Maryland’s four historically Black colleges and universities, saw termination of a program to boost representation of Black males teaching STEM.

“We’re taking legal action to stop these devastating cuts so our universities can continue to train the next generation of scientists and engineers who will strengthen our economy, protect public health, and produce groundbreaking research,” Brown said.

The NSF declined comment on the lawsuit.

Similar Trump administration efforts to cap indirect costs at 15% from the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Energy have been temporarily blocked by courts.

In addition to Maryland, state signed onto the latest suit are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.

On May 5, about 13 universities, the Association of American Universities, American Council on Education, the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and 13 universities or university systems filed a similar lawsuit against the foundation for trying to make drastic cuts in science research and place a 15% cap on indirect costs.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore represents one of 19 land-grant institutions in the country.

– This story was updated on Thursday, May 29, to include the National Science Foundation’s refusal to comment.