Science in the US: A Year of Setbacks and Resilience

Early Setbacks

In 2025, scientists in the US faced unprecedented challenges.

• January: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) halted key operations, disrupting ongoing studies and grant reviews.
• Executive orders rolled back diversity and inclusion programs and removed public data on health disparities and climate change.

Funding Cuts and Infrastructure Decline

February & March:

• Federal support for research infrastructure took a major hit.
• Universities saw funding slashed.
• Billions in research grants were abruptly terminated.

Agencies affected:

• NASA
• EPA
• NOAA

Many projects were left in limbo.

Researcher Experiences

Chemical Safety & AI Research

• A scientist working on AI-driven chemical safety assessments had their grant terminated, despite alignment with administration priorities.
• Impact:
• Halting of research.
• Loss of opportunities for early-career scientists.

Addiction Treatment Training

• A researcher training healthcare practitioners to treat addiction saw funding cut by 60%.
• Impact:
• Shortage of trained professionals.
• Worsening of the addiction crisis.

Climate Resilience in Spokane

• A team working on climate resilience projects lost a $19.9 million grant.
• Impact:
• Reduced preparedness for extreme weather.

LGBTQ+ Health Research

• Projects were terminated.
• Crucial demographic data was no longer made public.
• Researchers remain committed despite setbacks.

Pediatric Brain Cancer Research

• Significant funding cuts left labs underfunded and understaffed.
• Impact:
• Forced tough decisions on research and personnel.

Long-Term Consequences

• Dismantling of programs aimed at improving equity in science.
• Long-lasting effects on scientific progress and public health.