23 Year-Old DOGE “Crypto Bro” Kills Science Grants

Tech Dirt reports:

Picture this: You’re a researcher who has spent years developing a grant proposal, gone through layers of expert review, and received National Science Foundation (NSF) approval. Then some kid barely out of college — whose main qualification appears to be founding a company that puts ads on the blockchain — logs into a Zoom meeting, pays more attention to his fingernails than the discussion, and kills your grant with a disinterested thumbs down.

Welcome to science under DOGE. This isn’t hyperbole. It’s exactly what prompted Alondra Nelson — a pioneering scholar at the intersection of tech, policy, and society who led the Social Science Research Council and headed the Office of Science and Technology Policy under Biden — to publicly resign from both the National Science Foundation and the Library of Congress. Meet Zachary Terrell, DOGE’s apparent authority on scientific merit.

Read the full article. There’s much more.

A 23-Year-Old Crypto Bro Is Now Vetoing NSF Grants While Staring At His Water Bottle

Picture this: You’re a researcher who has spent years developing a grant proposal, gone through layers of expert review, and received National Science Foundation (NSF) approval. Then some kid barely out of college…

[image or embed]

— Techdirt (@techdirt.com) June 2, 2025 at 12:22 PM