The second Trump administration has initiated sweeping reductions in federal science funding, affecting public health, climate research, and space exploration. Elon Musk, serving as a special adviser, led efforts through the Department of Government Efficiency to slash government spending. These moves mark a significant departure from decades of US investment in scientific progress.
Just one week after Donald Trump's inauguration in January 2025, he signed an executive order halting grants and loans from federal agencies. This action disrupted thousands of grants at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), totaling approximately $3 billion, according to tracking by Grant Witness.
Elon Musk, as a special adviser, headed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which targeted spending across agencies. Job cuts followed at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), NASA, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In October, plans emerged for deep reductions at science centers within the US Geological Survey and National Park Service, impacting monitoring of agricultural resources, natural lands, and ecological research.
The administration also withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement and undermined climate efforts. Trump described climate change as "the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world" during a United Nations speech, dismissing renewable energy as a "scam." Key climate databases were axed, NOAA's monthly reporting calls were cancelled, and the National Climate Assessment was terminated. NOAA scientists avoided linking warming weather to climate change, drawing criticism from independent researchers.
Public health suffered major setbacks. In April, scientists overseeing the National Survey on Drug Use and Health were dismissed. Layoffs hit the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and reports on food insecurity ended. Recently, 100 positions at the National Center for Health Statistics were eliminated, including staff for the National Vital Statistics System and National Death Index.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appointed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), oversaw over 10,000 layoffs. A vaccine skeptic, he promoted debunked links between vaccines and autism, and between Tylenol use in pregnancy and autism. In June, he directed the CDC to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccines for children and pregnant individuals.
In space policy, the proposed budget cuts NASA's science funding by 47%, cancelling missions like returning Mars samples from the Perseverance rover, the DAVINCI Venus probe, and detailed study of asteroid Apophis by OSIRIS-APEX. NASA leadership remains unstable, with Jared Isaacman repeatedly nominated as administrator, potentially favoring private sector outsourcing.
These changes reverse the post-World War II "endless frontier" approach to science as a driver of progress. While the 2026 budget awaits congressional approval, the disruptions have already prompted scientist departures and eroded US global leadership in research.
