Trump Budget Request Shrinks Federal Science Agencies

On Friday, 2 May, President Trump released a “skinny” version of his fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget request. This skinny budget outlines the President’s budget priorities, including cuts and increases in funding and his thematic priorities for fiscal year 2026. Although Congress and stakeholders need the President’s full budget request to fully understand his 2026 priorities and plans, the skinny budget is enough for Congress, especially appropriators, to begin determining their priorities and drafting legislation.

As anticipated by earlier leaks, the President’s budget demonstrates his desire to reshape the federal government, emphasizing steep spending cuts across most non-defense programs. Many Earth and space science agencies and programs face cuts ranging from 10% to over 50%.  

Funding Levels Summary (in millions)

*The 2025 enacted column reflects OMB scoring of appropriations enacted in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025, and the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. This level does not include $2.9 billion in emergency funds provided for 2025 by Congress that were not designated as emergency by the President, since those amounts are not available for obligation. 

** The request proposed consolidating NIEHS with other institutes, so no comparison is possible. 

Key Agency Impacts: 

• The Department of Energy (DOE) receives about a 9% cut in funding from fiscal year 2025 spending levels. Within DOE, the Office of Science received an almost 14% cut in funding. The request indicates that much of that cut will be directed at funding for climate change research, while funding for high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, quantum information sciences, fusion, and critical minerals will be maintained. Additionally, the request drastically cuts funding for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) as well as Advanced Research Project Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), by 74% and 56% respectively. 

• The President’s budget request cuts the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by over 54%. Specifically, the request would cut the Office of Research Development by $235 million by ending research grants, environmental justice, and climate research, and focusing on statutorily required research in core mission areas. The Administration would also eliminate the EPA’s $100 million Environmental Justice Program and its $100 million Atmospheric Protection Program.

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) funding is cut by 24% in the president’s budget request. Significantly, the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is cut by almost 47%, and the Office of STEM Engagement is defunded and eliminated. Within NASA SMD, only the cut to Earth Science is specified at almost 53%. Although an earlier leaked budget document suggests that steep cuts will be felt by all science mission areas. The request also calls for the restructuring of the next Landsat mission, Landsat Next, and cancels the Mars Sample Return, suggesting that a human Mars mission can retrieve the samples. Accordingly, the request does promise a billion dollars for new Mars-focused programs. In explaining the elimination of the Office of STEM Engagement, the budget request states that the Office has minimal impact on the aerospace workforce and that NASA’s ambitious missions are sufficient to inspire the next generation of students to pursue STEM fields. 

• The administration proposes the elimination of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). In its place, the National Institutes of Health would be refocused and reformed into five new focus areas: 1. National Institute on Body Systems Research, 2. National Institute on Neuroscience and Brain Research 3. National Institute of General Medical Sciences 4. National Institute of Disability Related Research and 5. National Institute on Behavioral Health.  It’s unclear where environmental health science would be located if it continues. However, the Administration does propose $500 million for a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative, which would include studying environmental impacts on human health across the Department of Health and Human Services.

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would be cut by nearly 25%. The proposed budget eliminates several climate-focused research, data, and grant programs that are deemed inconsistent with the Administration’s policy direction. Cutting funding for NOAA will have long-term devastating effects, such as dismantling regional climate adaptation partnerships that help cities plan for rising sea levels and reducing the accuracy of hurricane forecasting by limiting satellite data investments.

• The president’s budget request cuts the National Science Foundation (NSF) by more than 55%. The budget request explains that it’s cutting funding for climate research, clean energy, as well as social, behavioral, and economic sciences. Additionally, the budget cuts over a billion in funding for programs aimed at broadening participation in STEM. 93% of NSF funding is dispersed through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements, and NSF funds 62% of all basic geoscience research at universities and other academic institutions, so the impact on the Earth and space science community will be dramatic. Additionally, reports indicate that we can expect steep cuts to the Graduate Research Fellow Program (GRFP) as well as cuts in funding to building and maintaining key infrastructure, including Antarctica facilities. 

• The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) would receive over a 38% cut. The Administration proposes to eliminate USGS programs that fund university grants, duplicate other federal research efforts, or focus on climate change. Instead, it proposes redirecting resources towards advancing U.S. energy and critical minerals dominance. A cut of this magnitude to USGS funding would put lives and infrastructure at risk, including halting updates to national earthquake hazard maps used to set building codes, delaying groundwater monitoring critical to drought-stricken regions of the nation, and reducing support for volcano observatories like those monitoring Mount St. Helens and Kilauea. 

The President’s budget request has serious implications for our federal science agencies and the U.S. scientific enterprise. However, it’s critical to remember that Congress has the power of the purse and controls federal funding.  Engaging with Congress is the only way to overcome these concerning proposed cuts, and AGU has many opportunities for our community to speak up for science – including our June Congressional Visits. 

Meeting with your legislators is the highest impact action you can take to shape policy.  This 3-4 June 2025, AGU is hosting a special Congressional Visits Day workshop and event in Washington, D.C. AGU will prepare you to effectively meet with your legislators and schedule your meetings. Learn more about the event and apply before Friday, 9 May.