COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The National Science Foundation has canceled more than 1,000 grants over the past few weeks under new guidelines preventing funding for diverse research.

The NSF cancellations include at least five Ohio State University research projects, which were reported by DOGE and confirmed by a university spokesperson. According to DOGE, Ohio State lost more than $807,000 in funding between the five cancelled grants:

• A $31,736 grant about Indigenous communities and ecotourism cancelled three months early with $0.66 unpaid.
• A $296,209 grant exploring pathways for Black and Hispanic women in computer science cancelled with $54,588.60 unpaid.
• A $18,760 grant exploring the connection between identity and language cancelled three months early with $12,596.34 unpaid.
• A $445,606 grant about increasing gender diversity in the geosciences cancelled more than two years early with $316,700.14 unpaid.
• A $713,128 grant about retaining underrepresented groups in doctoral engineering programs cancelled more than a year early with $423,599.71 unpaid.

In April, the NSF announced new guidelines for federal research. Under them, researchers may only look at specific identities or characteristics if it is crucial to the research, fills an important knowledge gap and does not try to broaden STEM opportunities for underrepresented groups. Researchers can still examine achievement gaps so long as the studies do not limit or preference participation based on identities.

According to the NSF, any awards that did not align with the agency’s new goals were terminated, including those focused on diversity, equity and inclusion or “misinformation/disinformation.” See previous coverage of DOGE cuts to local programs in the video player above.

The cancellations come amid a turbulent time for the NSF, with first term Trump appointee Sethuraman Panchanathan stepping down from the role he’s held for years on April 24.

Effective May 5, the agency also changed its reimbursement policy, capping indirect research reimbursements at just 15%. The change was challenged this week by a lawsuit filed by 13 universities and three university alliances or advocacy groups, including the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.

Although Ohio State is not a plaintiff, it is a member of the land grant association. Including Ohio State, 11 of Ohio’s 14 public universities are members. The lawsuit alleges the reimbursement cap will have enormous effects on research capabilities and budgeting, and could set discoveries and innovation back significantly.

Ohio State is not unique in its cancellations. NSF cancellations include a University of Cincinnati project about diversity in doctoral programs and a Columbus State Community College grant working to increase diversity in the workplace. In total, Ohio State researchers lost $807,485.45 between the five canceled grants.

“We are grateful for the research support we receive from our federal partners as these investments literally save lives in Ohio and our nation,” university spokesperson Ben Johnson said. “Across the university, research continues, which benefits farmers, patients, military personnel, law enforcement small businesses, and Ohioans, but we are closely monitoring and managing federal notifications that have impacted a number of our faculty and laboratories.”