Trump Administration Faces Backlash Over NIH and NSF Budget Cuts

Proposed reductions to science funding and a controversial NIH grant policy spark legal challenges and concerns over U.S. research leadership.

The Trump administration has proposed cutting the National Science Foundation budget by up to 66% and capping NIH indirect cost reimbursements at 15%, down from current averages of 27–28%.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the NIH policy in 22 states following lawsuits arguing that it violates federal law and threatens critical research infrastructure.
Major research institutions, including Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center, warn of significant financial losses and potential setbacks in medical advancements.
The NIH funding freeze, which defies multiple court orders, has halted most grant disbursements, raising concerns about the continuity of biomedical research across the U.S.
Critics argue that the cuts will harm long-term innovation, with examples like NIH-funded breakthroughs in GLP-1 weight-loss drugs highlighting the importance of sustained government investment in basic research.