Over 1,900 scientists and engineers have expressed deep concerns regarding the current state of scientific research in the United States, citing significant dangers posed by recent budget cuts from the Trump administration.
In an open letter released on Monday, the signatories stated, “Wise investments by the US government have built up the nation’s research enterprise, making it the envy of the world. Astoundingly, the Trump administration is destabilizing this enterprise by gutting funding for research, firing thousands of scientists, removing public access to scientific data, and pressuring researchers to alter or abandon their work on ideological grounds.”
The letter was authored by contributors from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an institution established by Congress under President Abraham Lincoln to advise policymakers. Each signatory made their endorsement individually rather than as representatives of their respective institutions.
The authors accused the Trump administration of employing censorship tactics through executive orders and funding threats aimed at hindering initiatives the administration opposes, particularly in areas such as climate change and vaccine development.
Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, responded by stating, “The United States is by far the largest funder of scientific research and is home to the world’s largest ecosystem for innovation and research. The Trump administration spending its first two months to review the previous administration’s projects, identify waste, and realign our research spending to suit the priorities of the American people is not going to upend America’s innovative dominance,” in an email to Technology News.
In less than 100 days, however, President Donald Trump, with support from billionaire Elon Musk, has significantly weakened the scientific operations of various federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, the administration has launched investigations into more than 50 universities to dismantle programs designed to aid underrepresented and historically marginalized students.
The letter asserts, “The quest for truth — the mission of science — requires that scientists freely explore new questions and report their findings honestly, independent of special interests. The administration is engaging in censorship, destroying this independence.”
The administration’s threat to withhold $400 million in funding has already coerced Columbia University into modifying its policies and academic programs. Other institutions have been forced to stop research, lay off employees, and cease graduate student enrollment, according to the letter.
The signatories warn that the United States faces a potential loss of an entire generation of scientists, with over 1,200 professionals contemplating leaving the country due to the Trump administration’s policies, reflecting 75 percent of those surveyed in a separate poll conducted by the journal Nature.
The letter concludes with a stark message: “A climate of fear has descended on the research community. We are sending this SOS to sound a clear warning: the nation’s scientific enterprise is being decimated.”
Update, April 1st: This article has been updated with a response from the White House.
