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Salon
Salon
Garrett Owen

Trump's Silicon Valley bet on science

Jim ONeill Donald Trump NSF Salon Silicon Valley Robert F. Kennedy Jr HHS National Science Foundation Diana Zuckerman Peter Thiel

President Donald Trump‘s nominee for director of the National Science Foundation is Jim O’Neill, a polarizing Silicon Valley tech investor with prior roles in the Trump administration and a proponent of ideas and practices that live on the fringes of modern science. His nomination has drawn praise from contemporaries and withering criticism from scientists and advocates alike.

The position of NSF Director has been vacant since April 2025, when former director Sethuraman Panchanathan resigned amid orders from the Trump administration to drastically cut the NSF’s budget and personnel. O’Neill was selected by Trump for the role in late February. A date for his senatorial confirmation hearing has not been set.

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