The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced on Sunday that its payment system is back online after being frozen for five days. This decision comes in response to a judge’s order, allowing researchers to once again request the checks they rely on for rent, food, and other expenses. While post-doctoral fellows are relieved by this development, there are concerns about the mixed messages from the funding agency and the potential risks to grants and livelihoods.
Researchers funded directly by the NSF can request payments through a portal, with some required to adhere to specific pay schedules. The portal was initially frozen following an executive order from President Trump on January 27, which halted payments across the government. Despite the order being modified and rescinded, the NSF took precautionary measures to review its award portfolio for compliance.
According to the NSF’s updated webpage on executive orders, the agency cannot delay or stop payments for active awards solely based on non-compliance with the orders. However, researchers attempting to access the payment system last week were met with a message stating the system was unavailable for review purposes. Even after the system came back online, ongoing reviews in light of the executive orders were mentioned on the NSF website.
State attorneys general have argued in court that the payment freeze violated the U.S. Constitution, as Congress-mandated funding could not be withheld by the executive branch. Researchers who tried to request large sums before the freeze found their payment requests canceled. The NSF also reserves the right to take action for reasons beyond compliance with the executive orders, such as violations of law or grant terms.
As the payment system resumes operation, the NSF warns of potential delays in processing due to a high volume of requests. The research community remains hopeful that this situation will be resolved swiftly to ensure the continuity of important scientific work.
