Ambitious research is on the chopping block following yet more cuts at the National Science Foundation. Stephanie Arnett/MIT Technology Review | Adobe Stock This past week delivered another gut punch for science in the US. This time, the target was the National Science Foundation—a federal agency that funds major research projects to the tune of around $9 billion. The foundation’s efforts were overseen by a board of 22 prominent scientists. On Friday last week, they were all fired . The NSF has been without a director since April 2025, when former director Sethuraman Panchanathan  stepped down in the wake of  DOGE-led funding cuts and mass firings. Trump’s nominee for the role is  Jim O’Neill , an investor and longevity enthusiast who does not have a science background. It’s hard to predict exactly how things will shake out for science. But it’s not looking great. The NSF was  established in 1950 to “promote the progress of science,” among other goals.…