Funding for biomedical research has dropped by nearly 60% since President Trump took office in January, leaving scientists without resources and forcing major project delays.
Dan Diamond and Dan Keating report for The Washington Post.
In short:
- The Trump administration has slashed over $3 billion in National Institutes of Health funding since January, halting or canceling hundreds of research projects in fields including cancer and mental health.
- Scientists report laying off staff, rescinding job offers, and pausing clinical trials as funding freezes ripple through universities and labs nationwide.
- Officials say the cuts are part of a government spending overhaul led by Elon Musk’s DOGE Service, targeting projects they claim no longer align with agency priorities.
Key quote:
“It’s unbearable. Right now, what’s happening is that hope is being yanked away.”
— Rachael Sirianni, bioengineer at U-Mass. Chan Medical School
Why this matters:
The sudden drop in funding for the NIH is sending shockwaves through the nation’s medical research infrastructure, threatening not just future scientific breakthroughs but the well-being of patients today. Promising young scientists are being driven out of the field, and lifesaving discoveries may be delayed — or lost altogether. Public health advocates warn that the U.S. could lose its edge in global biomedical innovation at a time when threats from infectious disease, chronic illness, and environmental exposures are only growing.
Read more: NIH leadership defies court orders to maintain funding freeze
