Research & Developments is a blog for brief updates that provide context for the flurry of news regarding law and policy changes that impact science and scientists today.
The Trump administration is requesting the cancellation of billions of dollars in funds for renewable energy, environmental justice, carbon removal, space science, and climate change education in its FY 2027 budget. The cuts would help fund massive budget increases to Department of War programs, including a 28% increase in discretionary funding, bringing defense funding to $1.5 trillion.
According to a topline fact sheet released this morning, the budget proposal includes a $73 billion (10%) reduction in nondefense spending “by reducing or eliminating woke, weaponized, and wasteful programs.”
An array of environmental and climate-related programs are included in the reduction, as are broader science efforts, such as NASA research. “President Trump is committed to eliminating funding for the globalist climate agenda while unleashing American energy production,” read another fact sheet released by the White House, called “Ending the Green New Scam.”
The proposed cuts include:
$15.2 billion to the Department of Energy’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, referred to by the administration as the “Green New Scam.”
EPA grants for environmental justice, such as a $600 million Thriving Communities Grantmakers Program, and EPA grants to non-governmental organizations.
Eliminating the United States Geological Survey’s Ecosystems Mission Area, the biological research arm of the Department of the Interior.
$1.6 billion in NOAA grants for education, which the administration claims are aimed “to radicalize students against markets and spread environmental alarmism,” and for climate-related research programs.
$5.6 billion to NASA’s discretionary budget, a 23% decrease from 2026. Cuts include $3.4 billion to science missions such as the Mars Sample Return Mission and the SERVIR program, $1.1 billion to International Space Station funding, and $143 million to the Office of STEM Engagement. Mars Sample Return and SERVIR, NASA’s partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development, have already faced severe funding cutbacks.
$45 million in cuts to renewable energy programs at the Department of the Interior, including for offshore wind projects, a consistent target of the administration.
Cuts to foreign aid, including $150 million to the Global Environment Facility, which “helps developing countries address complex challenges and work towards meeting international environmental goals.”
Reduced funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, including research focused on electric vehicles.
The budget request also proposes eliminating higher education’s Minority-Serving Institutions program and the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), as well as cutting $70 million for the Teacher Quality Partnership Program.
The administration has identified some science, nature, and education-related areas for budget increases, however. For instance, the proposal requests a total of $1.1 billion for the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, and $10 billion to establish the Presidential Stewardship Program as part of the National Park Service to conduct “beautification projects” in and around Washington D.C. It also proposes a funding increase of $75 million for Energy-Water Security, a joint effort between the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation dedicated to “securing water resources, modernizing infrastructure, and ensuring resilient energy systems.”
The budget proposes consolidating the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, but did not provide details outside noting the program would be housed at the Department of the Interior.
The proposed budget mentions investment in wildland fire management but did not specify an amount. It also noted the administration would maintain funding levels for artificial intelligence and quantum information science at key federal agencies.
—Emily Gardner (@emfurd.bsky.social), Associate Editor
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