Trump Administration Again Proposes Deep Cuts to US Science Funding

The Trump administration has released its 2027 budget proposal, calling for major cuts to US science agencies for the second consecutive year.

The plan, unveiled on April 3, would propose cut to federal agencies that fund or conduct research in health, space, and the environment. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Environmental Protection Agency would each see their budgets fall by more than 50% in 2027 compared with current levels, while the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would face a 13% reduction.

The proposal would defund the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and close three of the NIH’s 27 institutes and centers: the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Fogarty International Center, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

It would also ban federal spending on expensive journal subscriptions and high publishing fees, without defining those terms.

While the White House says its budget proposal would maintain funding for quantum information and artificial intelligence research would be maintained “to ensure the United States remains on the cutting edge.” According to Alessandra Zimmermann of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the administration plans to increase applied research funding for those areas at the Departments of Defense and Energy. However, at the NSF, quantum and AI funding would be cut by 37% and 32%, respectively, from 2025 levels.

Congress has final authority over federal spending. Last year, lawmakers rejected similar cuts. Budget negotiations could extend beyond the start of the 2027 fiscal year on October 1, with congressional elections scheduled for November 3.