US researchers persevere through massive federal grant cuts by seeking private funds and new collaborations
Facing billions in frozen or cancelled federal grants, scientists in fields from climate to transgender health have turned to lawsuits, philanthropy and interdisciplinary projects to keep their work alive.
The Trump administration’s 2025 executive orders halted billions in federal research money, freezing or cancelling grants from the NIH, NSF, and the now-defunct USAID. In response, scientists across disciplines have adopted a range of survival strategies: filing legal challenges, soliciting philanthropy, and reorienting projects to align with the NSF’s new focus on AI, biotech and quantum science. An elephant-cognition researcher at Hunter College obtained funding from the Templeton World Charity Foundation and a regional foundation after losing Fish and Wildlife Service grants.
A climate-adaptation group at Virginia Tech lost over $400,000 in NSF money and is now using publicly available datasets to produce US-centric analyses. Former Climate.gov staff, led by Rebecca Lindsey, raised more than $630,000 via crowdfunding to rebuild a climate-information portal under the nonprofit Multiplier. Meanwhile, a University of Pittsburgh infectious-disease team lost $138 million from USAID and is scrambling to preserve clinical samples. These case studies illustrate how U.S. scientists are “fiercely stubborn,” employing creativity and collaboration to sustain research amid political and financial headwinds.
Why it matters
The story shows how political decisions can jeopardize critical scientific work and how researchers adapt to preserve knowledge and public benefit.
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