Yesterday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his Florida Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) announced what they called their first “Gotcha moment” in their ongoing effort to eliminate what they perceive as “wokeness” in Florida’s higher education institutions.
- This announcement targeted the University of West Florida (UWF), which DOGE claimed had received a federal grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to train math and science teachers to promote social justice and cultural responsiveness in classrooms.
In response to this discovery, Governor DeSantis demanded that UWF refund $800,000 to the federal government. The Governor tweeted:
“No Florida college or university should be focused on social justice or woke ideology over classical education. This money should be refunded as part of Florida’s DOGE efforts, which would add to the nearly $1 billion that Florida has already returned this year.”
UWF Explains the Reality of the Grant Program
In a statement released late yesterday, UWF clarified the actual nature and implementation of the NSF Noyce grant in question. While the grant, initially awarded in 2017 and renewed in 2022, does reference a social justice theme in its title and abstract, UWF confirms that the implementation of their program does not incorporate this theme at all.
Background: The Noyce program primarily aims to provide scholarships to selected students enrolled in UWF’s Teach program, designating them as Noyce Scholars. These scholars complete citizen science projects under faculty guidance, which they later translate into lesson plans for grades 6-12. The fundamental goal is straightforward: to increase the number of qualified math and science teachers in local school districts.
Science, Not Social Justice
According to UWF’s statement, the current grant is supporting just two Noyce Scholars. One scholar completed a project focused on water quality sampling methods in Summer 2024, while another will research aspirin synthesis in Summer 2025. The university explicitly stated that these projects do not have a social justice focus, nor will future projects incorporate such themes.
- It’s worth noting that scholarship awards are merit-based, considering factors such as GPA, letters of recommendation, and letters of interest from applicants.
Dig Deeper: The current controversy is not UWF’s first experience with NSF grants. The university has received several STEM-related grants from NSF over the years, including $1.3 million during President Trump’s first administration in 2019. That previous grant funded studies for juniors and seniors who became Noyce Scholars pursuing UWF-Teach degrees and supported student recruitment with a special focus on bringing underrepresented minorities into STEM teaching.
- Regarding the current grant that has drawn DOGE’s attention, the total amount is $871,573. As of May 4, 2025, UWF has utilized approximately 25% of these funds, primarily for its stated purpose of developing qualified STEM teachers.
Substance vs. Symbolism
The disconnect between the grant’s title and its actual implementation highlights the potential dangers of judging educational programs solely by their titles or abstracts.
While the grant may have included terminology that triggered DOGE’s scrutiny, UWF maintains that the actual content and execution of the program focus on developing much-needed STEM educators through legitimate scientific projects.
- For now, the university continues its work to increase the number of qualified math and science teachers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties – a goal that, regardless of political perspective, benefits Florida’s students and communities.
Official UWF Statement:
UWF’s NSF Noyce grant, initially awarded in 2017 and awarded again in 2022, references a social justice theme in its title and abstract; however, the implementation of UWF’s program does not incorporate this theme. The Noyce program provides scholarships to selected students enrolled in a UWF Teach program, designating them as Noyce Scholars. As part of their experience, Noyce Scholars complete a citizen science project under the guidance of UWF faculty, which is later translated into a lesson plan for grades 6–12. The primary goal of the program is to increase the number of qualified math and science teachers in the local school districts.
The current (second) Noyce grant is supporting two Noyce Scholars. One completed a project on water quality sampling methods in Summer 2024, and another will complete a project on aspirin synthesis in Summer 2025. These projects do not have a social justice focus, nor will future projects incorporate such a theme. Scholarship awards are based on merit, including GPA, letters of recommendation, and a letter of interest.
The grant total is $871,573, and as of May 4, 2025, UWF has utilized roughly 25% of the funds.