Florida DOGE uncovers $800k NSF grant for social justice math program at University of West Florida
A Florida state audit has discovered that the University of West Florida in Pensacola has received federal funding for an $800,000 social justice math project.
The state’s recently created Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) announced on X during Monday it had found the grant.
A Florida state audit has discovered that the University of West Florida in Pensacola has received federal funding for an $800,000 social justice math project.
The state’s recently created Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) announced on X during Monday it had found the grant.
Florida’s DOGE efforts are ensuring that light is shined on waste, fraud, and abuse in the state of Florida. Our team recently discovered that the University of West Florida is actively engaged in a grant that has utilized over $800,000 in federal funding from the National… pic.twitter.com/HMJ0FQ7BpG
— Florida DOGE (@DOGEFla) May 5, 2025
“Florida’s DOGE efforts are ensuring that light is shined on waste, fraud, and abuse,” the government agency says in its post.
“Our team recently discovered that the University of West Florida is actively engaged in a grant that has utilized over $800,000 in federal funding from the National Science Foundation entitled Educating Science and Mathematics Majors to Teach with Social Justice Models in High-Needs Schools to train math and science teachers on how to promote social justice and ‘cultural responsiveness’ in their classrooms,” it continues.
The National Science Foundation is a federal agency that awards research funding and is committed to “[p]romote the progress of science.”
Florida DOGE also included a picture of the grant’s abstract in the X post.
“Recognizing that social justice is an often-overlooked component of STEM educator identity, Scholars will participate in a two-summer social justice citizen science project and will graduate as highly qualified science and math teachers,” the description says. “These new teachers will positively impact the two partnering high-need districts in the area by elevating educational opportunities in a culturally responsive and sustaining manner.”
Governor Ron DeSantis was quick to condemn the NSF grant once made public.
“No Florida college or university should be focused on social justice or woke ideology over classical education,” DeSantis said on X yesterday. “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.”
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. https://t.co/EVK54tB2ML— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 5, 2025
A University of West Florida statement provided to Campus Reform noted that the “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 primary goal of the program is to increase the number of qualified math and science teachers in the local school districts,” the statement added.
According to the university, its two currently funded scholars have performed projects on water quality and aspirin synthesis that “do not have a social justice focus.” The school statement also noted that any additional projects will not include social justice, and that the institution has only used 25 percent of the awarded funds.
[RELATED: UNC to discontinue ‘Health Equity and Social Justice’ concentration in graduate program]
Gov. DeSantis established Florida DOGE in February, mimicking the federal government’s version in an effort to reduce inefficient state spending.
“Florida has set the standard for fiscally conservative governance, and our new Florida DOGE task force will do even more to serve the people of Florida,” DeSantis said after announcing the organization. “It will eliminate redundant boards and commissions, review state university and college operations and spending, utilize artificial intelligence to further examine state agencies to uncover hidden waste, and even audit the spending habits of local entities to shine the light on waste and bloat.”
Campus Reform contacted the National Science Foundation, which declined to comment.
