Government Shutdowns and Their Impact on Science
Science consistently suffers during government shutdowns. When funding lapses, government scientists are sent home without pay, federal agencies halt new grant opportunities, suspend expert review panels, and stop gathering and analyzing vital public data concerning the economy, environment, and public health.
2025 Shutdown: Higher Stakes Amid Scientific Upheaval
The 2025 shutdown arrives amid significant turmoil in American science and innovation caused by President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to expand executive power and exert political control over scientific institutions. With the shutdown extending into its fifth week and no resolution in sight, the administration's fast and controversial reforms to federal research policies are changing the established agreement between the U.S. government and research universities. This agreement traditionally involves government funding and academic autonomy in exchange for public benefits derived from research.
Author's Perspective on U.S. Science Funding
As both a physicist and policy scholar, I study and care deeply about the state of U.S. science funding, having personally benefited from federal research grants. My work focuses on the history and governance of American science policy, including the nation's research and development investments.
"The Trump administration is not just reforming the US research system – it is trying to remake it."
"The Trump administration’s rapid and contentious changes to federal research policy are rewriting the social contract between the U.S. government and research universities."
Summary: The 2025 government shutdown severely disrupts U.S. science amid President Trump's political reshaping of federal research policy, threatening the traditional partnership between government and universities.