Impacts of Recent Policy Actions

AWIS members share their stories of navigating an uncertain future

We polled AWIS members...

Many people and organizations in the scientific enterprise are dependent on federal funding. The Association for Women in Science asked our members if they have been impacted by the recent policy actions and how. 

75% of respondents said they have been impacted. 

We’ve compiled a selection of their stories below. In summary, they have lost jobs, funding, and growth opportunities. They are feeling a profound sense of dread, stress, and uncertainty. They expect long-term, ripple effects that will impede America’s ability to compete for decades to come. 

Here’s how you can help:

Stress and Uncertainty

“There is a lot of confusion about the future of NIH and NSF funding, which has caused me a lot of stress – I just want to train my students and make sure they have the chance to reach their goals.”

“Grants in limbo… study sections cancelled at the last minute, after putting in all that time reviewing. Former grad student lost job at USDA. Current grad student uncertain about next installment of NSF fellowship. Constant stress and whiplash.”

“Unable to get clarity about an NIH training grant we have. Emails and phone calls to the program officers and grants managers go unanswered.”

“I give workshops about NIH grants, and I don’t know what to tell people planning to apply.”

Lost Jobs

“I was fired from my job at the USGS. My partner is at NIST and in fear of getting fired at any moment.”

“I have MANY friends and people I know who have been laid off from federal agencies. One of them got fired 3 days before her due date with her second child.”

“I had accepted a final offer to work at NIH. I spent over a month interviewing, completing background checks, security clearance, training, and filling out paperwork. Needless to say, my offer was rescinded, and I lost that position.”

Lost Opportunities to Learn and Lead

“I was going to attend a 2-day workshop run by the Association for Science and Technology Centers, which was cancelled because they lost their NSF funding.”

“A workshop for graduate students in mathematics I was organizing lost its funding.”

“Our organization (which is funded approximately 30% by federal grants) has made the difficult decisions to cancel our summer internship and postbac programs as well as other “non-priority” hiring. It has been extremely disheartening to not be able to offer these early career opportunities in STEM to students and new graduates.”

Lives and Careers Upended

“I moved across the country to be with my fiancé with the understanding that there was a good number of federal jobs in the area. Now, with PIs not getting money from the NSF to fund new post-docs, and the job market congested with overqualified people due to recent federal layoffs, I feel like my option to have a future in science has been ripped away from me. I am grieving the future I worked to build.”

“I research public health in the context of climate change with a focus on health disparities. As you can imagine, the funding future for these sorts of things is unsure at best, completely gone at worst. I’ll probably need to change my career trajectory because of this.“

“I was planning to pursue a career in public health, specifically in applying to CDC’s Lab Leadership Service. With the current budget cuts, I’m uncertain it will even be an option.“

“My large NIH G-RISE Training Grant program was removed from the NIGMS website early on, no word yet on whether the program will be restructured or terminated. 17 Ph.D. students will lose their stipends on May 1,2025 if the program disappears.”

“A friend was to have funding given to them for conference travel, and when the federal funding freeze happened, their funding went away! It impacted at least 20 people as a result, all medical students.”

“I’m watching bright young adults terrified for their futures. CV’s will be blank soon while people hope the interviewer remembers, that’s when funding was cut.”

Negative Impacts to Research and Society

“Slashing indirect cost rates to 15% will eliminate all of the core facilities we have to do research. Our core facilities invest in equipment an individual lab could not afford to purchase or upkeep, so losing out on that stifles our research.”

“BSL-3 and 4 facilities are not common. They are expensive to maintain. For example, hardware stores don’t carry our air filters. We require extensive training and have biosafety for anything you could possibly imagine. Which is why: biotech, pharma, nonprofit, academic and government institutions trust us and use our expertise/ resources. So then, why not cover overhead costs???”

“60% of our revenue comes from NIH grants. We are experiencing cancellation of study section meetings, needing to spend excessive time “scrubbing” proposals of language that might be deemed unacceptable, and very high stress levels across our employees. This is a disaster for the scientific enterprise and will negatively affect the US for generations.”

Help support women in science

AWIS champions the interests of women in science through advocacy, career advancement, community, recognition, and more. Learn more about our work and partnership opportunities, join us, or donate. Thank you in advance for your support.

Donate