Over 1,900 scientists and engineers have collectively voiced their concerns, warning of a “real danger” as the Trump administration reduces federal funding for scientific research.
According to the open letter published on Monday, “Wise investments by the US government have established the nation’s research enterprise, making it a global benchmark for excellence.” The letter highlights how the Trump administration is undermining this foundation by cutting research funding, terminating thousands of scientists, restricting public access to scientific data, and pressuring researchers to change or cease their work based on ideological directives.
Crafted by members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine—an institution formed by Congress under President Abraham Lincoln to guide policy—the letter emphasizes that signatories are expressing their personal opinions, rather than institutional positions.
The authors accuse the Trump administration of employing censorship tactics through executive orders and funding threats aimed at stifling initiatives the administration disapproves of, particularly those addressing climate change and vaccine development.
The White House has not yet responded to requests for comments from The Verge.
In less than 100 days in office, President Donald Trump and billionaire supporter Elon Musk have significantly impacted the scientific divisions of federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Trump administration is investigating over 50 universities as part of its strategy to dismantle programs designed to assist students from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.
As noted in the letter, “The pursuit of truth—the essence of science—demands that scientists investigate new inquiries and report their results truthfully, free from special interests.” The letter asserts that the administration is engaging in censorship, jeopardizing this independence.
By threatening to withhold $400 million in funding, the administration has coerced institutions like Columbia University into altering school policies and academic programs. Other universities have faced research interruptions, layoffs, and halting graduate student admissions, as indicated in the letter.
The future of the US scientific community is at stake, the signatories caution. A staggering 1,200 scientists are contemplating leaving the US due to the administration’s drastic measures, which constitutes 75% of respondents in a separate poll by the journal Nature.
“A climate of fear has enveloped the research community,” the members of the National Academies express in the letter. “We are issuing this SOS to deliver a clear alert: the nation’s scientific enterprise is being dismantled.”
