Government Shutdowns Disrupt Science in 2025
The Trump administration is not only reforming the US research system but also attempting to fundamentally reshape it. Science consistently suffers during government shutdowns, as lapses in funding force government scientists to stop work and go unpaid. Federal agencies halt new grant opportunities, suspend expert review panels, and cease collecting and analyzing vital public data that inform our understanding of the economy, environment, and public health.
In 2025, the impact of the shutdown is more severe than before. It occurs amid significant upheaval in American science and innovation, driven by President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to expand executive authority and impose political control over scientific institutions.
Prolonged Shutdown and Changing Research Governance
As the shutdown enters its fifth week with no resolution in sight, the Trump administration's swift and controversial reforms to federal research policy are altering the traditional arrangement between the U.S. government and research universities. Historically, the government has provided funding and autonomy to universities in return for the expectation of public benefits derived from their research.
Personal Perspective on Science Policy
As both a physicist and policy scholar, I study and have a personal stake in U.S. science funding due to my role as a federal grant recipient. My work focuses on the history and governance of American science policy, including the country’s investments in research and development.
"This shutdown arrives at a time of massive upheaval to American science and innovation driven by President Donald Trump’s ongoing attempts to extend executive power and assert political control of scientific institutions."
"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 – where the government provides funding and autonomy in exchange for the promise of downstream public benefits."
Key Effects of Government Shutdowns on Science
- Government scientists sent home without pay
- Suspension of new grant opportunities and review panels
- Halt in collecting and analyzing critical datasets
- Disruption in research activities linked to economy, environment, and public health
Overall, government shutdowns critically undermine scientific progress while the current political context deepens the challenges facing U.S. science.
Author’s summary: In 2025, government shutdowns specially harm U.S. science, worsening as political moves reshape research funding and control, threatening innovation and public benefits from federally supported research.