All Government Shutdowns Disrupt Science
Consequences Extend Beyond Funding Lapses in 2025
Government shutdowns always harm science. Funding interruptions force government scientists to stay home without pay. Federal agencies halt new grant opportunities, pause expert review panels, and stop collecting and analyzing crucial public data about the economy, environment, and public health.
In 2025, the impact is more severe than in previous shutdowns. This shutdown occurs amid significant turmoil in American science and innovation. It is driven by President Donald Trump’s continued efforts to expand executive power and impose political control over scientific institutions.
As the shutdown enters its fifth week without resolution, the Trump administration’s swift and controversial changes to federal research policy are reshaping the social contract between the U.S. government and research universities. Traditionally, the government provides funding and autonomy in return for the promise of future public benefits.
The Trump administration is not just reforming the US research system – it is trying to remake it.
With the shutdown entering its fifth week, and with no end in sight, 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.
As a physicist and policy scholar who studies and depends on U.S. science funding through federal grants, I understand both the history and governance of American science policy, including the nation's investments in research and development.
Summary
Government shutdowns disrupt science funding and research activities, but the 2025 shutdown also heightens concerns as it coincides with political moves reshaping America's science landscape and federal research policy.