Demonstrators take part in a “Stand Up For Science” rally at Washington Square Park in New York City in March 2025.
Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images
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Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images
Science in the United States took some big hits this year. The Trump Administration disrupted federal funding for all kinds of scientific pursuits. Administration officials say those changes were a step towards reinvigorating federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health.
NIH director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya called those changes “long overdue.”
Many scientists disagree.
Some are particularly concerned about the lasting impact of the changes they’ve seen in 2025 – especially on the next generation of scientists. One young scientist, Brandon Coventry, is a recipient of grant funding from NIH. The work he does could help people with diseases like Parkinson’s and epilepsy.
But some of his funding was recently revoked – and Coventry says he and many of his peers are considering leaving the country to pursue scientific careers.
“I think for many of us, this is a calling to make the world a better place,” he says. “And we would love to do that in our homes. But we’re gonna go to places where we can do that.”
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This episode was produced by Rachel Carlson. It was edited by Amina Khan, Scott Hensley and Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.