Shaking My Head: Why NSF’s Rollback on DEI Grants Is a Dangerous Step Back for America
- Muhsinah Morris
- Apr 22
- 4 min read
By Dr. Muhsinah Morris (Dr. M.O.M.)
Biomolecular Chemist | Mother of Five Black Sons | Metaversity Pioneer | Advocate for Inclusion in Science & Technology
I am shaking my head.
Not as a scientist with decades of experience in biomolecular chemistry.
Not as a technologist who pioneered the first higher education institution in the Metaverse.
But as a Black woman. A mother to five Black sons—each of whom represents the potential of this nation. One son with autism spectrum disorder, two gifted with exceptional IQs, an electrical engineer, a cybersecurity specialist. And as the wife of a Black man—a network design engineer who helps keep America’s digital infrastructure humming.
Today, I feel as if the very infrastructure of our collective future—the foundation of inclusion and innovation—is crumbling before my eyes.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), an institution that has spent my entire lifetime encouraging minorities and women to step fully into the halls of research and discovery, has—at the stroke of an executive order—terminated funding for grants focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). This isn’t just a budget cut. This isn’t bureaucratic mumbo jumbo. This is erasure. Decades of slow, hard-fought progress for women, for people of color, for those of us on the margins—wiped away.
And perhaps the most heartbreaking part?
The general public doesn’t seem to care. Not because they don’t have hearts, but because the implications are hidden beneath layers of intellectual jargon that makes it seem like this is just “policy stuff.” But this isn’t just about policies. This is about people.
It’s about who gets to be in the room where discovery happens.
Why This Matters—To All of Us
America has long been called a melting pot, but for much of its history, the intellectual class has had a limited invitation list. That limitation has meant a limitation on what humanity can know about itself.
When only a narrow demographic—white, male, and elite—has been allowed to ask the big questions in science and technology, our discoveries have been partial, our policies flawed, and our innovations blind to the needs of so many. The history of scientific research is also the history of bias—of who gets studied, whose bodies are deemed worthy, whose diseases get cures, whose communities are prioritized.
Rolling back DEI in scientific funding is a return to that partial vision.
It’s a return to blind spots that cost lives.
As a mother of a Black son with autism, I know firsthand how the lack of inclusive research affects care and understanding for neurodiverse Black children. For too long, autism studies left out Black boys like my son, Seth Muhsin. Our stories, our data, our lives have been footnotes—if mentioned at all.
As a scientist, I’ve stood on the frontlines of discovery and know that inclusion is not charity—it is safety. Diverse teams make better decisions. Diverse researchers ask different questions. That diversity has been America’s secret weapon in remaining competitive globally in science and innovation.
The NSF was one of the last great bastions ensuring that every American mind had a chance to contribute to the future. Without DEI in funding, we silence voices that have been historically marginalized—and we weaken our collective ability to solve problems that affect us all.
Inclusion is National Security
Think this is just about feelings? Think again.
Inclusion is about national security.
When diverse minds are kept from the table, we miss out on the full spectrum of innovation needed to safeguard our nation in cybersecurity, biotechnology, defense, public health, and beyond.
One of my sons is a cybersecurity specialist, helping to protect America’s digital borders. Another is an electrical engineer, shaping the infrastructure that powers our world. Their talents, their drive, their perspectives are essential to the future of this nation. Rolling back DEI in science? You are rolling back their futures—and the security of all of us.
We Cannot Go Back
America’s strength has always been in its diversity—not just of race or gender but of thought, experience, and perspective.
To return to a past where only a privileged few dictate the future of science is shameful. It’s a betrayal of everything that makes America a leader in global innovation.
I am shaking my head because I know the cost.
We all should be.
If you care about the health of your community, the security of your country, the future of your children—you must care about who gets funded in science.
Because who gets funded decides which questions get answered.
And I refuse to let my sons—or your children—grow up in a nation where those answers only serve the few.
About the Author:
Dr. Muhsinah Morris, also known as Dr. M.O.M. (Molder of Minds), is a biomolecular chemist, technologist, and the world’s first Metaversity Director. She is a global trailblazer in XR and AI education, an autism advocate, and a mother of five Black sons. Her work focuses on making science and technology accessible, inclusive, and empowering for all communities.
Source for NSF policy change:
Inside Higher Ed (2025). NSF Terminates Grants Focused on DEI or Identity Groups.
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