THE WEEK OF DEC 29, 2025
2025 in Review
The Capitol Building.
AIP
2025 has been a tumultuous year for science. The following is a selection of articles that reflect FYI’s reporting over the past 12 months. Some of these threads, such as university grant cuts, Trump administration science initiatives, and visa policy changes, are certain to feature in our future coverage.
Thank you for being a reader of FYI. We look forward to keeping you informed in 2026. Our usual weekly newsletter programming will return Jan. 5.
The visa program changes aim to make it easier for U.S. employers to hire skilled foreign workers.
Trump systematically revoked climate and DEI policies of his predecessor as part of his day-one agenda.
Agencies have removed references to diversity offices, staff, and programs from their websites.
The White House rescinded a freeze on federal grant spending but orders to suspend DEI and green energy activities remain in effect.
FEB 07, 2025
Reports suggest NSF, NOAA, and NIH are among the agencies in line for major cuts.
NSF’s union expects up to 30 employees to be re-hired, though around 120 will leave Monday after taking the “fork in the road” buyout deal.
MAR 11, 2025
Speakers in Washington, DC, emphasized the need for bipartisan support for the National Institutes of Health and other science agencies.
MAR 20, 2025
NASA, NOAA, USGS, and other agencies are in the process of eliminating or significantly reducing their scientific advisory committees.
The president eliminated the agency’s budget for major construction by disputing “emergency” appropriations made by Congress.
APR 02, 2025
Billions of dollars in federal research grants at universities are under review by the Trump administration, with several freezes already in place.
Plans to immediately close hundreds of offices have given way to a steady drip of proposed property sales and lease cancellations.
Trouble scheduling visa interviews and other administrative hurdles have caused STEM professionals to seek collaborations outside of the U.S.
The agency is terminating hundreds of grants that run afoul of Trump priorities.
MAY 02, 2025
NSF has already terminated hundreds of STEM education-related grants, and Trump’s 2026 budget proposes even deeper cuts across the federal government.
The restrictions apply to all new grants and amendments to existing ones.
The action is among a series of recent and anticipated clampdowns on academic exchanges with China.
Scientists are mulling whether the effort has merit or is simply an attempt to undermine independent science.
The bill also includes a huge tax hike for certain universities and rescinds major clean energy and climate research funds.
The new model would rename facilities and administrative costs and change how they are calculated.
Current and former employees at NSF, NASA, NIH, and the EPA have signed onto letters enumerating their concerns.
AUG 20, 2025
A recent executive order looks to officially establish political review processes that staff say are already being implemented at NSF.
SEP 19, 2025
Former National Science Board Chair Darío Gil was among the group that received Senate approval this week.
OCT 17, 2025
Two lawsuits are contesting the new $100,000 fee for the H-1B skilled worker visa program.
OCT 21, 2025
The agency has opened the possibility in a recent funding announcement and threatened to take control of Harvard’s patents.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the president is not calling for a resumption of explosive testing.
The shutdown had wide-ranging effects on research funding and the federal science workforce.
DOE will lead an AI effort that administration members are comparing in scale to the Manhattan Project and Apollo program.
DEC 03, 2025
Democrats pressed the NASA nominee on his leaked plans for the agency and the unusual circumstances of his nomination.
DEC 10, 2025
Provisions on research security, grant policies, indirect cost rates, and more are packed into the latest version of the NDAA.
