Policy News Headlines

Last updated May 19, 2025

Executive Branch
President Trump’s FY 2026 budget request proposes massive cuts to scientific agencies (and others), while a federal judge issues a temporary restraining order against mass firings at many government agencies, including the Department of Energy, Department of Interior and National Science Foundation.

Congress
Congressional Democrats protest recent Executive and agency actions, Republicans continue to make headway on the budget reconciliation process, and confirmation voting continues for Trump’s science nominees.

Federal Agencies
Major restructuring and personnel changes are announced for NSF as layoffs and scientific grant and program cancelations continue across the federal workforce.

Scientific Community
Europe extends a welcome to American scientists, and nominations open for key EPA scientific advisory panels.

Informational Resources
Trackers, government websites and other sources of information to help you stay informed, take action, and get help.

 

Executive Branch

May 19, 2025

• Scientific research needs more precise federal funding, White House tech leader says — Nextgov

May 10, 2025

• Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from laying off federal employees — E&E News from Politico

May 5, 2025

• What’s Ahead: Trump seeks massive cuts to science — FYI from AIP

April 29, 2025

• Trump dismisses scientists from National Climate Assessment — The Hill

April 25, 2025

• Trump executive order makes it easier for agencies to fire probationary employees — Government Executive

April 18, 2025

• OPM proposes rule to formally revive Schedule F — Government Executive

April 11, 2025

• White House outlines plan to gut NOAA, smother climate research — Politico

Congress

May 15, 2025

• Senators question DOE, USGS nominees about budget cuts — E&E News from Politico

May 7, 2025

• House advances budget bill boosting fossil fuels, undercutting environmental reviews — The Hill
• Senate panel sets vote on Interior, DOE nominees — E&E News from Politico
  • Related: Watch the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee hearing

May 1, 2025

• Interior water nominee calls Colorado River ‘top priority’ — E&E News from Politico

April 10, 2025

• A Champion of Oil Ends Her Bid to Lead the Bureau of Land Management — New York Times

April 7, 2025

• House launches deliberations on Energy, Army Corps spending — E&E News from Politico

Federal Agencies

May 19,  2025

• Greens urge court to force feds to restore online enviro data — E&E News from Politico

May 13,  2025

• NSF board member resigns, citing Trump’s ‘creeping’ authoritarianism — E&E News from Politico

May 8,  2025

• Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions — Science

May 7,  2025

• Threats to NOAA-funded snow and ice data products alarm polar scientists — E&E News from Politico

May 2,  2025

• Trump Halts Grants, Caps Indirect Costs at the National Science Foundation — The Chronicle of Higher Education

May 1,  2025

• Exclusive: NSF stops awarding new grants and funding existing ones — Nature

April 30,  2025

• Exclusive: NIH to suspend funds for research abroad as it overhauls policy — Nature

April 29,  2025

• USGS Water Data Centers May Soon Close, Threatening States’ Water Management — Inside Climate News

April 28,  2025

• National Science Foundation accelerates purge of research grants — E&E News from Politico

April 24,  2025

• Trump-appointed National Science Foundation leader resigns — Politico

April 22,  2025

• In killing grants, NSF appears to follow Ted Cruz’s blueprint — Science
• National Science Foundation Terminates Hundreds of Active Research Awards — New York Times
  • Read the statement from NSF’s Director here

April 21,  2025

• EPA orders staff to begin canceling research grants — Science

April 18,  2025

• Trump swings budget ax at USGS biology research — Science

April 17,  2025

• Exclusive: Trump team freezes new NSF awards — and could soon axe hundreds of grants — Nature

April 16,  2025

• NSF scraps most outside advisory panels — Science
• NSF halts grant awards while staff do second review — Science
• By Redefining ‘Harm,’ Agencies Aim to End Longstanding Wildlife Protections — New York Times
  • Read the Federal Register notices here and here

• Judge Blocks DOE Move to Cut Indirect Cost Rate — FYI from AIP

April 15,  2025

• ‘Handcuffed’: NSF travel freeze threatens to drive out talent — E&E News from Politico

April 14,  2025

• Interior grounds some migratory bird protections — E&E News from Politico
• Green groups sue Trump agencies over removal of climate data — E&E News from Politico

Scientific Community

May 5,  2025

• Europe Makes a Pitch to Attract Scientists Shunned by the U.S. — New York Times
• 13 former NSF leaders to Congress: Reject Trump’s budget cuts — E&E News from Politico

April 30,  2025

• EPA opens call to fill key scientific advisory panels — E&E News from Politico
  • See the Federal Register request for nominations to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee
  • See the Federal Register request for nominations to the Science Advisory Board

April 4,  2025

• International PhD students make emergency plans in fear of US immigration raids — Nature

April 1,  2025

• Over 1,900 researchers describe ‘assault’ on science by White House: ‘We see real danger’ — ABC News

March 27,  2025

• 75% of US scientists who answered Nature poll consider leaving — Nature

March 20,  2025

• New US Academic Alliance for the IPCC opens critical nomination access — AGU press release

Informational Resources

Information

• List of Federal Staff Firings (from Government Executive)
• NSF Implementation of Recent Executive Orders
• Latest Memos from the Office of Personnel Management
• Akin Executive Order Tracker
• Just Security’s Litigation Tracker
• American Institute of Physics’ FYI Science Policy News & Analysis
• Timeline of Administration Actions (from Research!America)
• EJToday Daily Digest of Environment/Energy News
• UC San Diego Library’s U.S. Government Information: Weekly Roundup

Take Action

• ESA Action Alert
• ESA Policy Toolkit
• Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology’s (FASEB) Science Policy & Advocacy Resources
• Watch a recording of ESA’s “Communicating with Congress” webinar
• Share your story with ESA of how recent events are impacting you
• Respond to the survey for fired federal employees from the House Science Committee’s Democratic Staff
• Get in touch with the American Institute of Physics’ FYI science policy news team about layoffs at federal science agencies
• Get in touch with Nature’s News team to share your story
• Share how funding cuts are affecting your research with the New York Times’ Opinion section (scroll to the questionnaire at the end of this essay)
• Tipline for feds experiencing political interference in science (from HEATED & SciLight)
• Learn more about a multi-organization effort to share scientists’ stories on recent policy impacts

Get Help

• Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) resources
• Environmental Protection Network’s resources for federal grantees
• Lawyers for Good Government’s Fund Protection Clinic for federal grantees
• Environmental Protection Network’s resources for federal employees
• Civil Service Strong
• Alden Law Group’s archive of Executive Orders & OPM statements regarding federal workers
• These groups may be working on Class Action Lawsuits for fired federal employees (ESA does not verify or endorse these groups and is sharing for informational purposes only): Alden Law Group, Democracy Forward

---

This page is produced by the Public Affairs Office of the Ecological Society of America. ESA’s policy activities work to infuse ecological knowledge into national policy decisions through activities such as policy statements, Capitol Hill briefings, Congressional Visits Days and coalition involvement.

Send questions or comments to Alison Mize, Director of Public Affairs, or Mayda Nathan, Public Affairs Manager.

Visit the ESA website to learn more about our activities and membership.