‘Shattered’: US scientists speak out about how Trump policies disrupted their careers
Nature • • nation
Key Points:
- The first year of President Donald Trump’s second term saw unprecedented federal agency layoffs, funding cuts, and grant terminations affecting scientific research and universities, with 536 documented actions undermining science in 2025 alone, more than double the number during his first term.
- Federal research agencies such as the USGS and EPA experienced sharp declines in scientific output and disruptions in policy-making, with significant budget cuts threatening long-term environmental monitoring and public health initiatives.
- Thousands of federal scientist positions were eliminated across agencies including NIH, EPA, NOAA, and CDC, compounded by the longest federal government shutdown in history, leading to delays, halted projects, and reduced capacity to share scientific findings.
- Over 7,800 research grants were disrupted in 2025
