How have funding cuts affected early-career scientists’ futures?

“Funding cuts did affect the opportunities I had … I’m very lucky to have the position I have, mainly due to the fact that my most recent program is not federally funded. But when applying, whole programs I applied to were discontinued, and some had reduced admissions. A big factor that helped me decide what program to go to was based on whether or not the program was federally funded, out of fear and uncertainty of the stability of the program in the future. It’s crazy how that’s even something I have to consider when deciding on what program to go to.”
—David Behery, postbaccalaureate scholar, Kempner Institute, Harvard University

“Uncertainties about the future and not able to plan or focus on work.”
—Kiran George, postdoctoral fellow, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

“At the Allen [Institute], there is a prioritization happening now and possibly some reorganization in the future. Scientists feel anxious about their future and trapped in this island of partially private funding. Will there be room for other postdocs or for faculty positions? I think with less freedom of movement, there is also some anxiety about our current job. The choice may be reduced to your current job in science, however good or bad the working conditions are, and industry. For me personally, before the cuts I was thinking about applying to faculty positions, but I have given up on that now. I was lucky to get a scientist position at Janelia and will stay there for the next couple years at least, then see how the politics shake out.”
—Lili Karashchuk, Allen Institute alum; Researcher, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

“Neuroscience, like all fields, will see the loss of an entire generation of researchers and work as people search for work outside of scientific research.”
—Wesley Alford, research scientist, Boston University

“Fewer postdoc opportunities—many more students, including myself, are considering non-academic paths or opportunities abroad.”
—Thomas Barlow, doctoral student, Columbia University

“I expect that there will be smaller graduate school class sizes, fewer postdoc positions available and a more competitive faculty hiring system.”
—Jafar Bhatti, doctoral student, University of Pennsylvania

“As an early-career scientist and international scholar in the U.S., the funding opportunities have been extremely decreased. The plan of getting new equipment in the lab to explore new research directions is also paused. I anticipate the field will [be] moving forward slower. Many people might have considered leaving academia or the U.S.”
—Can Dong, postdoctoral fellow, Stanford University

“With graduate programs paring down the number of students they admit, I fear funding cuts will prevent me from advancing in my career. I worry this will lead to me needing to give up on the research pathway to prevent spending too much time in the low-paying and disposable positions that a person without a graduate degree is qualified for.”
—Jeff Goff, research technician, WashU Medicine

“Many labs will be forced to close. Many people will be forced to leave science. I am planning on graduating from my Ph.D. program sooner than I otherwise would have due to funding cuts to my lab. I still hope to get a postdoc position after graduating, but I suspect that will be difficult.”
—Benjamin Gorko, doctoral student, University of California, Santa Barbara

“I am currently preparing to finish my Ph.D., but recent funding cuts have left me with fewer postdoc options while my Ph.D. lab is anxious about continued funding. It’s left me in a tough position of wanting to finish my degree quickly but not having many options on the job market.”
—Erin O’Leary, doctoral student, University of Illinois

“The number of students who will be able to make the jump from studying neuroscience in school to working in neuroscience careers, whether in industry or academia, will drastically decrease. Without funding for small, undergraduate-focused labs or summer research opportunities like REUs, the technical know-how and love of research will not be passed on. We could see a generation that not only lacks neuroscience Ph.D. students, postdocs and professors, but also research technicians, clinical study coordinators, physician scientists and much more.”
—Hannah McCalmon, doctoral student, Harvard University

“It’s increasingly difficult to land a faculty position, to the point that it’s becoming almost impossible. My university (in the Netherlands there also have been substantial cuts to science funding) does not foresee any assistant professor vacancies coming up in the next five years. Even if I land an ERC starter (1.5 mil) they will not offer me a position.”
—Guido Meijer, postdoctoral researcher, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University

“Less money for grants, obviously, but also faculty positions, which were scarce already. For people with families, it now seems almost irresponsible to chase the dream of becoming a PI.”
—Ralph Peterson, postdoctoral fellow, Basis Research Institute

“I feel much more inclined to pursue positions outside of the United States. Even if the NIH offers bigger grants, I don’t think the uncertainty and right-wing/quack ideological influence are worth the extra money. I would rather have a smaller grant but know that my job doesn’t depend on pretending that vaccines cause autism.”
—Ethan Whitman, doctoral student, Duke University

“I’m an undergrad student trying to get involved with research at my school. Many labs I have reached out to are already facing funding deficits and have had to close their labs or cut down on paid researchers.”
—Anonymous, University of Oregon

“For now, my plans have not changed drastically. I’m currently on startup funds, and so my goal is to weather this period of time and then make a more informed decision when the funding cuts fully stabilize.”
—Arjun Bharioke, assistant professor of neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina

“My plans are not affected too much. But insecurity is increased. Everything is so unstable. What if similar things happen in Europe?”
—Jens-Bastian Eppler, postdoctoral fellow, Centre de Recerca Matemàtica

“As someone in my final postdoc year and recently facing a K99 rejection amid NIH funding cuts, the impact feels very real. With tightened budgets and hiring freezes at many institutions, I now face uncertainty about finding faculty opportunities, even with a strong research program. It’s discouraging, but I’m staying focused—seeking alternative funding, strengthening collaborations, and remaining adaptable as I navigate this challenging landscape.”
—Nidhi Sharma, postdoctoral researcher, University of Chicago Neuroscience Institute

“I feel like I have to live in a constant state of cognitive dissonance. I need to spend my startup funds wisely but still do as if nothing is wrong because my team needs to produce work that we have to rely on for the coming two to three years. It is also difficult for me [to] ‘adjust’ because I do not have a prior on this (started my lab in 2023). I may be in for a reckoning in one to two years, but currently I cannot let that stop me from buying, hiring and doing the research I have spent all my career preparing for. Financial worries are for next year!”
—Sebnem Tuncdemir, assistant professor of neuroscience, UConn Health

“As someone interested in basic research, I feel funding will likely become more targeted to translational research and biomedical application, exacerbating the current trend. I am terrified by the prospect of opening a lab under this environment.”
—Mateo López Espejo, postdoctoral researcher, University of Washington

“I believe global mental health issues should get global attention—especially for the benefit of historically underrepresented communities, such as children with neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism and intellectual disability, living in low- and middle-income countries and marginalized groups in higher-income countries. I am a witness to this global effort as I received a full scholarship for a Ph.D. in developmental psychology through an NIHR-funded project. Because there was funding available, I was able to conduct my studies focused on Ethiopia and Kenya. Funding cuts threaten global initiatives to address global problems and shatter dreams of early-career researchers like myself. I am worried about the future of neuroscience research in the global platform and inclusion of families from marginalized communities without ensuring adequate funding to support the research that tries to find solutions and address the needs of the local communities.”
—Tsegereda Haile Kifle, doctoral student, King’s College London

“​​Less conference budgets making it harder to connect and collaborate. We also have lesser research budget, meaning we cannot use many of the research methods because it’s too expensive.”
—R. Ravi Rao, doctoral student, Leiden University

“I’m hoping the funding cuts will be reversed and things will be able to resume. Currently, it seems to be preventing conference attendance, blocking international collaborations and reducing the number of international students who are able to come and contribute their skills to U.S. research. Funding cuts to neuroscience research seem to be having the effect of reducing the amount of research that can be done. There seems to be an increase in competitiveness for any available funding.”
—Laura Schoenhals, doctoral student, Drexel University