Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the National Science Foundation
Key claim: The National Science Foundation is revising its Title VI regulations to align prohibited conduct with the statutory text, match the Department of Justice’s final rule, and implement Executive Order 14281.
Abstract
(Rule · National Science Foundation) The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF or Foundation) is revising its regulations implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI). NSF is taking this action to align the conduct prohibited by NSF’s regulations with Title VI’s text, avoid constitutional concerns, reduce compliance costs, serve the public interest, ensure consistency with the final rule recently issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ), and implement the direction outlined in Executive Order (E.O.) 14281.
Why this matters
NSF’s revision is part of a coordinated cross-agency effort to conform Title VI nondiscrimination rules to a common baseline anchored in the statutory text, the DOJ final rule, and E.O. 14281. For grantees and beneficiaries of NSF-funded programs, the practical effect is a narrower federal enforcement posture on disparate-impact claims and greater uniformity in how prohibited conduct is defined across agencies.