The White House terminated all members of the National Science Board, leaving the agency without a board, director, or deputy director. The change, reported by Nature and confirmed via communication to board members, underscores accelerating political pressure on NSF oversight as the agency remains a major funder of university research. NSF’s nearly $9 billion annual budget and board role put the action in the center of questions about how quickly leadership and governance can be restored. The reported board membership count drops to zero at full capacity terms, with the board historically helping steer NSF priorities and governance. The development also arrives against scrutiny of the president’s proposed NSF budget, which the reporting indicates would have cut the agency by more than half—though Congress rejected a similarly drastic cut for the current year. For research universities and STEM labs, the immediate operational risk is continuity of governance and long-term stability of NSF-related program planning, especially with awards and competitive cycles in motion.