As soon as President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2025, he signed an executive order titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.” This order called for the termination of all diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility – DEIA – mandates, policies and programs in the federal government.
These included “equity-related” grants or contracts, such as programs supporting underrepresented people in STEM, and all DEI or DEIA performance requirements for grant recipients – for example, requiring that grant recipients have a plan to address underrepresentation in their area of study.
