The Trump administration has unveiled a 2027 budget proposal that would significantly reduce federal spending on scientific research, renewing a push that lawmakers largely rejected the previous year.
The plan, introduced by Donald Trump, calls for sweeping cuts across major research agencies, including a 55% reduction to the National Science Foundation, a 23% cut to NASA, and a 12% decrease for the National Institutes of Health. The Department of Energy’s Office of Science would see a 15% reduction under the proposal.
The budget blueprint also includes eliminating numerous programs focused on climate and environmental research, while restricting federal agencies from spending on academic journal subscriptions and certain publishing costs.
The proposed reductions are part of a broader shift in federal priorities. Overall discretionary spending would increase significantly, driven by a planned surge in defense funding, while nondefense spending—including science—would decline by about 10%.
Administration officials say the changes are intended to concentrate resources on select priorities such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and targeted health initiatives. Funding for those areas would continue or expand even as overall research budgets shrink.
Critics, however, warn the cuts could undermine the nation’s scientific leadership. The Association of American Universities urged Congress to reject the proposal, arguing that reduced investment would weaken innovation and economic competitiveness.
On Capitol Hill, opposition has already begun to take shape. Zoe Lofgren, the top Democrat on the House science committee, criticized the proposal as harmful to long-term research and technological advancement.
At the National Institutes of Health, the proposal would reduce the agency’s budget by more than $5 billion and restructure its operations, including eliminating several institutes and consolidating others. The plan also calls for changes to how grants are funded, including a shift to multiyear funding and caps on overhead costs—moves that critics say could limit the number of research projects supported.
The National Science Foundation would face some of the steepest reductions, with its budget cut by more than half. The proposal also calls for eliminating its social and behavioral sciences directorate, while maintaining funding for priority areas like artificial intelligence.
At NASA, the plan would preserve the Artemis human spaceflight program but cut the agency’s science budget by half, ending dozens of missions. Lawmakers rejected a similar proposal last year and instead maintained funding for NASA’s science portfolio.
Other agencies would also see substantial changes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would lose funding for key climate research programs, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would see major restructuring and reduced support for several health initiatives.
The proposal now heads to Congress, where lawmakers will determine whether to adopt, modify or reject the spending plan. Last year, Congress restored much of the funding the administration sought to cut, raising questions about whether a similar outcome will occur again.
Source: science.org