Following World War II, U.S. authorities embraced the belief that scientific advancement was crucial for national security, improved health, job creation, elevated living standards, and cultural development. This consensus held strong for about eighty years, as leaders from both political parties consistently supported the funding of American science. However, just one month into Donald Trump’s second term, there’s growing concern among scientists that this longstanding agreement is unraveling.

The Trump administration has acted quickly, dismissing thousands of science agency employees and introducing changes to research grant policies that might significantly slash federal support for science. These reductions are part of a broader initiative to drastically cut government expenditures and decrease the size of its workforce.

Even though U.S. courts have sometimes stepped in, the Republican majority in both houses of Congress, which previously resisted Trump’s attempts to cut science funding from 2017 to 2021, seems to be aligning with his current policies. For many in the scientific community, these early actions signal a shift in priorities likely to impact both science and society for years to come.

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Harold Varmus, a former director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and now a cancer researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine, described these moves as “unprecedented.” He stated, “No one has ever witnessed a presidential transition that dismantles such a critical segment of our government’s operation.”

The Trump White House did not respond to a request for comment from Nature.

Here, Nature reviews the swift measures taken by the Trump administration concerning science, and discusses future expectations with policy experts.

Immediate and Sweeping Reforms

Immediately following Trump’s inauguration on January 20, he signed numerous executive orders directing government operation within existing legal frameworks. Some orders, like withdrawing from the 2015 Paris climate agreement and ending U.S. membership in the World Health Organization, were expected. Others, however, caused immediate and widespread concern within the scientific community.

One such order inaccurately mandated the recognition of only two biological sexes and prohibited federal activities that endorse or teach gender ideology. In response, agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began removing datasets from their websites and retracting scientific papers to exclude terms like ‘gender’ and ‘transgender’.

Another order targeted what Trump labeled “illegal and immoral discrimination programs” under the guise of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI). Federal employees were required to report any colleagues not complying with this directive or face “adverse consequences.” This led to the cancellation of DEI initiatives, including those aimed at environmental justice, which protects low-income communities from pollution and climate impacts.

On January 27, merely a week into the new term, Trump’s budget office halted all federal grants and loans for a review aligned with his executive orders, creating chaos as agencies like NIH and the National Science Foundation (NSF) paused funding operations. A federal judge later temporarily blocked this freeze, but confusion persisted.

A university scientist, who preferred to remain anonymous due to their reliance on U.S. agency funding, expressed the turmoil: “It’s completely chaotic; I’m losing sleep,” noting the personal burden of managing grants and teams in such an uncertain environment.

Drastic Cuts and Changes

Trump’s bold directives coincide with his burgeoning partnership with billionaire Elon Musk, aimed at cutting federal spending and dismantling key agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development, which supports global health initiatives.

The campaign to demoralize and reduce the federal workforce, advised by Musk at the Department of Government Efficiency, saw an initial voluntary resignation offer to all federal employees, promising retained salaries through September. Soon after, layoffs began, especially impacting probationary employees, including those in scientific roles who had joined the government within the last two years.

“The layoffs are haphazard and cruel,” stated an NIH researcher who saw their lab affected and who spoke on condition of anonymity. Performance reviews were ignored, with termination notices citing poor performance indiscriminately.

Legal challenges to these actions are expected. A representative from the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403, which includes NSF scientists, confirmed they are exploring all legal avenues to address the abrupt terminations.

Looking Ahead: Second Month and Beyond

Policy experts foresee more changes as Trump’s administration begins to implement strategies from Project 2025, a plan devised by the conservative Heritage Foundation. Though Trump disavowed this blueprint during his campaign, many of its authors have now secured positions in his administration.

The plan suggests severe cuts to climate research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and advocates for the privatization of services currently provided by the National Weather Service. It also recommends the Department of Energy shift its focus from clean energy to basic sciences like quantum information sciences and artificial intelligence.

Further cuts to the federal workforce and science budgets are likely as negotiations continue in a Republican-led Congress, with new budgetary procedures looming for 2026.

Science Impacts: One Month of Trump 2.0

January 20: Day 1 Executive Orders – Key directives included U.S. withdrawal from international commitments and a freeze on diversity initiatives across federal agencies.

January 21: NIH Suspends Activities – A halt on external communications led to a widespread pause in NIH operations.

January 27: Comprehensive Federal Grant Freeze – A directive from the budget office froze all federal funding, causing major disruptions even after a temporary judicial block.

January 31: CDC Censors Data and Publications – Following orders on gender terminology, CDC retracted public health data and scientific papers for revision.

February 2: NSF Resumes Funding Under Scrutiny – Although funds were unfrozen by a court order, the NSF began a detailed review of grants for compliance with new executive directives.

February 6: Threats to Global Health Programs – The freeze on foreign aid jeopardized U.S. efforts in global health, affecting disease prevention and treatment programs worldwide.

February 7: Proposed Cuts to NIH Indirect Costs – A plan to slash overhead funding for research institutions was temporarily halted by a legal challenge.

February 14: Layoffs at Science Agencies Begin – Notices of termination were sent to thousands of employees at key U.S. science agencies.

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This article is reproduced with permission and was first published on February 20, 2025.