A quiet crisis is unfolding across U.S. universities, federal agencies, and field stations: American scientific research is being systematically dismantled. Since January 2025, the Trump administration has slashed over $5.5 billion in federal science funding—ending long-term climate studies, shuttering labs, and forcing thousands of researchers out of work. Now, The New York Times is launching a new investigative series, “Lost Science,” to document the human cost of these cuts—and scientists are speaking out.
Unprecedented Cuts to Core Science Agencies
The scale of the reductions is staggering:
- National Science Foundation (NSF): $1+ billion in grants canceled—impacting basic research in physics, engineering, and computer science.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH): $4.5 billion cut, derailing cancer trials, mental health studies, and pandemic preparedness programs.
- NOAA & EPA: Entire climate monitoring and air quality research divisions defunded.
- NASA Science Budget: Slashed by nearly 48%, with Earth-observing satellites slated for early decommissioning.
“This government upheaval is discouraging to all scientists who give their time and lend their brilliance to solve the problems beleaguering humankind,” wrote Dr. Gina Poe, a neuroscientist at UCLA, in a message to The Times.
What’s Being Lost—Beyond Dollars
These aren’t just budget line items. They represent decades of accumulated knowledge and infrastructure:
- Arctic ice-core drilling projects halted mid-mission.
- Long-term bee colony health studies abandoned—just as pollinator collapse accelerates.
- Graduate students turned away from labs with no funding to support them.
- Weather and disaster forecasting satellites—used globally—marked for shutdown.
“You can’t pause a 20-year climate dataset and pick it up five years later,” said Dr. Marcus Lin, an atmospheric scientist whose NOAA grant was terminated without warning. “That data is gone forever.”
The 2026 Budget: A Death Blow to U.S. Science Leadership?
If the White House’s proposed 2026 budget passes, the damage will deepen:
- NSF funding down 56.9%
- NIH funding down 39.3%
- USGS ecosystems research: eliminated entirely
- U.S. Forest Service research: $300 million gone
The American Association for the Advancement of Science warns this would mark “the smallest federal science investment this century” and could end America’s role as the global leader in research and innovation.
Scientists Are Fighting Back
In response, researchers are organizing, testifying before Congress, and sharing their stories through The Times’ new call for submissions. “We’re not just losing data,” said one marine biologist. “We’re losing the ability to protect our coastlines, our food supply, our children’s future.”
The “Lost Science” series aims to give voice to those silenced by policy—not politics.
