Washington, D.C. — The Trump administration’s massive cuts to federally funded research and development, its war on higher education, and its aggression toward immigrants is a concerted assault on America’s unparalleled innovation system. A new piece from the Center for American Progress argues how these deep cuts in science and innovation will cause irreparable damage to the country’s economy and its long-term competitiveness with foreign countries.
The article’s release comes as the administration is reportedly considering issuing a second rescission request that would cancel billions in scientific research already approved by Congress and as the White House has proposed massive cuts to scientific research, which could have life or death consequences.
The Trump administration’s actions to dismantle science and innovation will put the country’s future prosperity at risk. The article examines how the administration’s actions will dismantle America’s science and technological advantage and how these actions fly in the face of what Americans want. Some of the key takeaways from this column include:
- Gutting federal R&D: For the 2026 fiscal year, the budget request included a roughly 40 percent cut to the NIH and a 57 percent cut to the NSF. Gutting funding to these two agencies alone will have a ripple effect on science and innovation. The NIH has already had $3.3 billion in remaining grant funds cancelled in $8.5 billion worth of cancelled grants. These cuts are likely to result in fewer new patents and fewer new drug therapies with an estimated value of the resulting future reduction in health at $8 trillion.
- Public funding is critical to advancing science: The Trump administration’s strategy relies on having a significant influx of private investment to replace federally funded R&D. Yet, in 2022, 41 percent of the total $130 billion of basic research expenditures in the United States was federally funded while only 35 percent was funded by businesses. The American innovation ecosystem has evolved as a partnership among private industry, early-stage investors, and federally funded researchers. Greatly reducing the federal funding component of this three-legged stool will constrict the pipeline of new ideas and technologies that enable the rest of the system to thrive.
- Squeezing universities and colleges: Without sustained federal funding to our research institutions, the United States risks surrendering the engine of its global leadership. In fact, it will be virtually impossible for universities to make up for the loss of government funded R&D since endowment funds are generally intended to ensure the long-term sustainability of an institution rather than fund early-stage research or applied science.
- A Trump-induced brain drain: The Trump administration’s attacks on immigration and and immigrants are driving researchers and top students away from the United States. Foreign students are leery of studying here and spooked by cases of graduate students legally present being threatened with potential deportation. Polls show that nearly three-quarters of U.S. researchers were considering leaving the United States earlier this year. This brain drain will significantly impact the country’s economic prosperity. One study found that 25 percent of U.S. billion-dollar startup companies were founded by someone who came to the United States as a foreign student, and immigrants more broadly founded nearly half of the country’s Fortune 500 companies. Collectively, these Fortune 500 companies generated $8.6 trillion in revenue last year alone.
“American innovation is under attack. The Trump administration’s assault on basic scientific research, colleges and universities, and high-skilled talent undermines America’s identity as the world’s innovation leader. This is not a recipe for American greatness, it is a recipe for long-term decline, with life or death consequences for countless Americans,” said Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress. “Everyday Americans, elected leaders, and industry must fight this administration’s callous and nonsensical attacks on science and innovation.”
Read the column: “Attacks on the U.S. Innovation Ecosystem Are an Attack on a Wellspring of American Prosperity” By Neera Tanden, Ryan Mulholland, and Adam Conner
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected].