Nature reported on July 20 that the US scientific system has been hit by a broad contraction since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. The figures cited were stark: more than 7,800 research grants canceled or frozen, roughly 25,000 federal science employees gone, and a White House proposal to cut non-defense research spending by 35%, or about $32 billion. The article said the shift is putting heavy strain on America’s research base and global competitiveness.
NIH and NSF account for most of the disrupted grants
The largest share of canceled funding came from the two biggest federal science channels. Nature said the National Institutes of Health terminated 5,844 projects, while the National Science Foundation cut 1,996. Affected topics included misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, infectious disease, and projects involving vulnerable groups or gender studies. New York was the hardest-hit state, with nearly 1,500 cancellations, largely centered at Columbia University.
Some grants have been restored after court orders, but the disruption has not been reversed. About 2,600 projects remain stalled, covering $1.4 billion in unobligated funds. For research teams, that means halted experiments, paused hiring, and delays in long-running work.
International student intake falls as the talent pipeline weakens
The damage described by Nature was not limited to agency budgets. New international student enrollment at US universities for the 2025–26 academic year fell 17%, the lowest level in a decade outside the pandemic decline of 2020. Among schools reporting lower numbers, 96% said visa application difficulties were a main reason.
Fresh grant awards are also shrinking. In 2025, new awards issued by the NSF and NIH dropped 25% and 24%, respectively. That narrows the opening for early-career researchers trying to secure first-round funding and slows the buildup of the next research cohort.
Federal science agencies lose around one-fifth of staff
Nature said federal science agencies lost about 20% of their workforce in 2025. The Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, and the Food and Drug Administration were among the hardest hit, each seeing staff losses above 20%. At NASA, the pressure was also linked to the suppression of climate science.
The departures were not only the result of layoffs at the start of the year. Many employees left through government-backed voluntary separation offers. The effect was immediate: heavier workloads for those who stayed and slower review of research applications.
White House seeks steep cuts while Congress signals resistance
In the fiscal 2026 budget proposal, the Trump administration called for a 35% reduction in non-defense research and development spending, aiming to push funding back to 1991 levels. The White House proposal would cut NIH by 40%, about $18 billion; the NSF by 57%; and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate by 47%.
Congress has signaled a different approach. For NIH, both chambers have leaned toward maintaining slight growth. The final NSF deal may end up at only a 3.4% cut, while NASA’s Science Mission Directorate may face just a 1.1% reduction. The budget fight is still open, but Nature’s message was direct: funding freezes, staff losses, and policy restrictions have already sent a shock through the US research system.