Science Friday

One Year Into Trump’s Term, Where Does Science Funding Stand?

January 13, 2026

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  • Despite initial damage and uncertainty caused by early 2025 administrative actions, bipartisan support in Congress for federal science funding agencies like NSF and NASA appears strong, leading to promising, albeit small, funding increases for fiscal year 2026. 
  • The negative impact of funding uncertainty was acutely felt by the scientific community, exemplified by a significant temporary cut to the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowships, highlighting the importance of stability for planning and retaining talent. 
  • The U.S. remains a global leader in science, but it risks losing its competitive edge, particularly in areas like solar energy breakthroughs where China is currently outpacing U.S. investment and deployment. 

Segments

Assessing One Year of Funding
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(00:00:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Initial damage from 2025 administrative actions was felt in grant terminations and reduced student enrollment, but current fiscal year 2026 funding outlook appears promising due to strong bipartisan Congressional support.
  • Summary: Damage was done in 2025 due to uncertainty, affecting grants and reducing student numbers in the sciences. However, preliminary funding numbers for fiscal year 2026 agencies like NSF and NASA look promising, indicating strong bipartisan support in Congress. Small increases are expected across several federal science agencies.
Specific Agency Funding Details
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(00:02:26)
  • Key Takeaway: NSF science funding remained flat while its education portion saw a 3% decrease; NIST received a relatively large increase, while NIH funding status is still pending.
  • Summary: NSF funding is relatively flat, with a 3% decrease specifically in its education component, while the science portion is flat. The Agricultural Research Service and DOE Office of Science show small increases, and NIST received a relatively large increase. The status of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest domestic discretionary science agency, is still awaited but expected to show a small increase.
Advocacy Driving Funding Success
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(00:03:33)
  • Key Takeaway: The positive funding outcomes were achieved through concerted advocacy efforts, particularly by patient advocates for NIH, who effectively communicated the ‘why’ behind research funding.
  • Summary: The positive funding results were not accidental but the result of concerted advocacy, including efforts by patient advocates who made the case for NIH research by highlighting tangible benefits like the gene therapy cure for baby KJ. For physical sciences and NASA, industry, philanthropy, and scientists also spoke up about the value of prior federal investment.
Impact of Funding Uncertainty
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(00:07:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Uncertainty severely impacts planning, demonstrated by the NSF cutting Graduate Research Fellowships from 2,000 to 500 initially due to not knowing final funding levels, risking the loss of top young scientists.
  • Summary: Uncertainty makes planning extremely difficult for graduate students and advisors, potentially causing the loss of a generation of top scientists. The NSF initially cut Graduate Research Fellowships by three-quarters (from 2,000 to 500) because of uncertainty over final appropriations, although this number is expected to be partially restored.
Global Scientific Leadership Status
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(00:09:18)
  • Key Takeaway: The U.S. avoided catastrophic loss of global leadership status because deep proposed cuts to NIH and NSF did not materialize, but China is leading in critical areas like solar energy deployment and overall indicators.
  • Summary: The U.S. is still a scientific behemoth, avoiding the scenario where deep cuts would have removed it from global competition, especially against China. However, China is leading in the deployment of solar energy and leads the U.S. in several critical areas like materials science and mathematics according to international indicators. Leading in these areas translates to economic, national security, and societal benefits.
Funding Policy and Basic Research
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(00:11:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Policy priorities are directly reflected in funding allocations, and sustained federal investment is necessary to maintain competitiveness in emerging fields like advanced AI and next-generation energy materials.
  • Summary: The principle that ‘policy is money’ means that priorities are set by funding levels; without federal investment in areas like renewable energy or life sciences, the U.S. cannot keep up with competitors. Basic science, even projects that seem easy to mock (like lizard studies), forms the foundation for future economies, exemplified by the foundational work that led to modern AI.
Rebuilding Trust in Science
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(00:14:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Rebuilding trust in science requires scientists to engage directly and build personal relationships through long-form venues, rather than relying on institutional credentials.
  • Summary: Trust is no longer automatically granted based on credentials; it must be built through relationships, often in person or via long-form media where the authentic motivations of scientists can be seen. Scientists must become more engaged in telling their own stories to counter narratives that claim little scientific progress has been made since 1990.
Vigilance Post-Funding Approval
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(00:16:49)
  • Key Takeaway: Even with funding levels passed, vigilance is required to ensure agencies execute spending correctly, prevent project cancellations (like atmospheric research), and maintain the morale of young scientists.
  • Summary: The work continues even after funding is approved because challenges arise during execution, such as ensuring agencies spend the money and preventing cancellations of specific projects. Maintaining the morale and resilience of young scientists remains a key challenge, requiring continued energetic advocacy.