Constitutionality of the National Science Foundation's STEM Programs

(Slip Opinion) Constitutionality of the National Science Foundation’s STEM Programs Certain race- and sex-based programs administered by the National Science Foundation violate the Constitution’s equal-protection guarantee. August 12, 2026 MEMORANDUM OPINION FOR THE GENERAL COUNSEL NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION “Racial discrimination is invidious in all contexts.” Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard Coll., 143 S. Ct. 2141, 2166 (2023) (“SFFA”) (cleaned up). It “demeans the dignity and worth of a person to be judged by ancestry instead of by his or her own merit.”