The first months of the second Trump Administration have included numerous actions with significant potential consequences for sociologists in the DCSS community. Although we are not in a position to track all of the developments in real time, here are some important news items and links to resources that may be useful. If you have additional suggestions or comments on these resources, please send an e-mail to the address at the bottom of the page.

News

Trump Administration Executive Order "Restoring Gold Standard Science" (May 23) Although this statement adopts some terminology used by scientists, it is already widely regarded as a vehicle for an attack on the use of science in federal policy-making. See "‘Gold Standard Science’ may lead to discarding valid research" in Chemical and Engineering News (May 28).

NIH

NIH order on indirect costs (News, Feb. 7) "NIH plans to slash support for indirect research costs, sending shockwaves through science" STAT "The National Institutes of Health, the nation’s premier funder of biomedical research, announced Friday night that it will immediately slash support for 'indirect costs' paid to universities, medical centers, and other research grant recipients, funding that the nation’s science enterprise relies on for basic operating costs. ... Going forward, the rate of support will now be 15% for new and existing grants." (Text of the NIH order) "Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates" Notice Number: NOT-OD-25-06.
On March 5, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelly ordered a nation-wide preliminary injunction which keeps the Administration from implementing the policy change while lawsuits continue. [Update courtesy of COSSA]

[Statements and Resources] "APLU Statement on Cuts to Reimbursement of NIH Facilities & Administrative Costs" (Feb. 7)
"NIH In Your State" United For Medical Research. "Select a state on the map to see the impact of NIH funding across America."
(Derek Lowe opinion blog in Science) "The Continuing Crisis" Part 5 [Feb. 21] Part 4 [Feb. 17] Part 3 [Feb. 10] Part 2 [Feb. 6]  Part 1 [Feb. 5] Additional news articles available on ScienceInsider   

"NIH scraps program to diversify the biomedical workforce, a longtime goal of science" STAT (Feb. 7) "Grant reviewers told to set aside applications from marginalized Ph.D. students."
Henry Carnell, "America Will Pay Dearly for the NIH’s Mindless War on Wokeness and DEI" Mother Jones (Feb. 17) 
"U.S. early-career researchers struggling amid chaos" Science (Feb. 21) 
"NIH Funding Cuts Could Have Ripple Effects on College-Town Economies" Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription, Feb. 25)
"Pain for Everyone: How Trump’s “indirect costs” cap at the NIH would hurt undergrads too" Slate (Feb. 26)
"Exclusive: NIH to terminate hundreds of active research grants" Nature (Mar. 6) "Studies that touch on LGBT+ health, gender identity and DEI in the biomedical workforce could be terminated, according to documents obtained by Nature."
"NIH cuts funding for vaccine-hesitancy research. mRNA research may be next" NPR (Mar. 12)
"NIH Grants Fueled $95 Billion In FY 2024 Economic Activity, Finds New Report" Forbes (Mar. 12)
"NSF, NIH Slash Support for Early-Career Scientists" Inside Higher Ed (Apr. 10)
"How Trump 2.0 is slashing NIH-backed research — in charts" Nature (Apr. 10, subscription)
"Women, minorities fired in purge of NIH science review boards" The Washington Post (Apr. 16, subscription) "Thirty-eight of 43 experts cut last month from the boards that review the science and research that happens in laboratories at the National Institutes of Health are female, Black or Hispanic, according to an analysis by the chairs of a dozen of the boards."
"NIH bans all future grants to universities with DEI programs or Israel boycotts" STAT (Apr. 21)

The Gerontological Society of America has circulated the following:  
“HHS Publishes Information on Terminated Awards. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a spreadsheet on terminated awards [links to PDF] through the department's publicly available Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System. According to HHS, the spreadsheet of terminated awards, which includes National Institutes of Health grants, is aligned with the February 18 presidential memo on "Radical Transparency About Wasteful Spending." The spreadsheet is dated 4/18/2025.  In addition to NIH, the spreadsheet also lists terminations of FDA, SAMHSA, and CDC awards."

Grant Tracker: NIH Grant Terminations in 2025. "This page is updated nightly with information on terminated grants, based on both information published by HHS and self-reported terminations from scientists.  Every effort is made to ensure accuracy, but there is uncertainty in data shared or published." (See also the Grant Watch link for NIH and NSF grants, explained below.)

SCIMaP: View Impact of Federal Health Research Cuts (Mar. 27) "Through interactive, data-driven visualizations, we aim to help Americans explore how science and health research fuels the economy, supports jobs, and improves health outcomes."

Senate HELP Committee Minority Report: "Trump's War on Science" (May 13) [PDF] This comprehensive report focuses on the impact on public health and research at NIH.

NSF

(Major update, Apr. 18) "Statement of NSF priorities." "NSF's broadening participation activities, including activities undertaken in fulfillment of the Broader Impacts criterion, and research on broadening participation, must aim to create opportunities for all Americans everywhere. These efforts should not preference some groups at the expense of others, or directly/indirectly exclude individuals or groups. Research projects with more narrow impact limited to subgroups of people based on protected class or characteristics do not effectuate NSF priorities." (FAQ 3) "Awards that are not aligned with NSF's priorities have been terminated, including but not limited to those on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and misinformation/disinformation."

Voluntary list of NSF awards terminated on April 18. Entries in this list have been contributed by award PIs. Sharing is voluntary. The database is public, and its developers are public about their involvement. (See "Expand for detail and directions" link in the upper left corner.)  Please note the AAUP resource lower in this section on responding to NSF award terminations. If you are on Bluesky, see also the thread by David Miller on this topic (Apr. 20).
"National Science Foundation Terminates Hundreds of Active Research Awards" The New York Times (Apr. 22, subscription)

(Additional awards cancelled Apr. 25) "National Science Foundation eliminates hundreds of grants day after director resigns" USA Today (Apr. 26) [The voluntary list linked above continues to be updated.] (See also the Grant Watch link for NIH and NSF grants, explained below.)

"Exclusive: NSF stops awarding new grants and funding existing ones" Nature (May 1)
"Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions" Science Insider (May 8)
"Sunsetting of the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM" NSF announced on May 9 that this division within the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) would be eliminated. The announcement was initially posted at this link; however, as of May 14, that URL redirects to the EDU directorate home page. The former division is no longer listed.
"Trump officials take steps toward a radically different NSF" Science Insider (May 13)

Save NSF: Tools to Take Action (May 21) From AFGE Local 3403.

(NSF Budget Request for FY 2026) The FY 2026 NSF Budget Request to Congress was released on May 30. You can obtain the full PDF document (222 pages) at this link. Psychologist David Miller, a STEM researcher, provided highlights on BlueSky social network (login not required): "The overall budget level ($9B --> $4B) has not been this low since 1983, adjusted for inflation. ... Attempting to close programs mandated by law. Even hurting red, historically underfunded states. 75% slash to STEM ed. Harms to early-career."

[Originally Feb. 2] NSF Implementation of Recent Executive Orders “This page provides information regarding recent executive orders and their impact on the U.S. National Science Foundation community. This page is being updated often; please check back regularly for information.” (The page has been updated frequently, with the addition of an FAQ section.) See also, "Here are the words putting science in the crosshairs of Trump’s orders," The Washington Post (Feb. 4) [Partial PDF version here]

[News reports] “EXCLUSIVE: NSF starts vetting all grants to comply with Trump’s orders” (Science, Jan. 30) Additional news articles available on ScienceInsider

"National Science Foundation Fires 168 Workers as Federal Purge Continues" Wired (requires subscription, Feb. 18)
"The National Science Foundation - this is not business as usual" nanoscale views (Feb. 19)
"NSF brings back 84 fired workers after judge blocks White House–ordered dismissals" Science Insider (Mar. 3)
"NSF scraps most outside advisory panels" Science (Apr. 15)

"48 Scientific Societies Representing Almost 100,000 Scientists Ask Congress to Protect the Future of Science" Union of Concerned Scientists (Mar. 3)
AAUP, "Understanding the Law and Policies for Grant Terminations for the National Science Foundation" [PDF] (Mar. 25)

"National Science Foundation Fuels America's Innovation, 2020-2025" (May 2) Data visualization created by the American Physical Society. See also the broader "Federal R&D Enterprise Visualizer" including funding from multiple agencies.

Department of Education

[Original "Dear Colleague" letter (DCL) from OCR] Inside Higher Ed "Ed Department: DEI Violates Civil Rights Law" (Feb. 15) "The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights declared all race-conscious student programming, resources and financial aid illegal over the weekend and threatened to investigate and rescind federal funding for any institution that does not comply within 14 days." (Original "Dear Colleague" letter available here. [PDF])

[Responses] "PEN America Condemns Education Department’s Threat to Defund Schools Over DEI Programs" (Feb. 15)
Memo from law professors, "DEI Programs Are Lawful Under Federal Civil Rights Laws and Supreme Court Precedent" [PDF] (Feb. 20)
Letter from Congress objecting to “Department of Government Efficiency” actions at the Department of Education (Feb. 21)
Shaun Harper, "A Dear Colleague Letter in Defense of DEI" Inside Higher Ed (Feb. 21)
"ASA Joins Lawsuit against the Department of Education" in our News section (Feb. 26) (Updated Apr. 27)
Letter from many higher education associations (Feb. 25) "...we respectfully request that the Department rescind the DCL and
engage with the higher education community to ensure a clear understanding of their legal obligations in this area."
"What Does the The Education Department's Anti-Opportunity 'Dear Colleague Letter' Mean for Schools?" NAACP Legal Defense Fund (Mar. 3)

["End DEI" portal] "U.S. Department of Education Launches “End DEI” Portal" (Feb. 27) "...a public portal for parents, students, teachers, and the broader community to submit reports of discrimination based on race or sex in publicly-funded K-12 schools. ... The Department of Education will use submissions as a guide to identify potential areas for investigation."  [The portal is open for comments as of 3/1.]

[Dismantling the Dept. of Ed] "Secretary McMahon: Our Department's Final Mission" (Mar. 3)
"Education Department Lays Off Nearly Half of Staff" Inside Higher Ed (Mar. 11)
"Democratic Attorneys General Sue Trump to Protect Education Department" Truthout (Mar. 14)
The American Educational Research Association (AERA, Mar. 14) issued an urgent warning "that all restricted-use NCES [Nat'l Center for Education Statistics] data licenses will be cancelled, possibly as early as March 20."
"Trump orders a plan to dismantle the Education Department while keeping some core functions" (Mar. 20) AP News coverage Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription)
"U.S. Department of Education Celebrates President Trump’s Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education" (May 9) "David Barker ... holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago and has taught economics at both the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa. For the past six years, he has served on the Iowa Board of Regents, ... [where] he has played a key role in advancing cost control measures, promoting academic freedom, and ending discriminatory DEI programs."

"Few support punitive funding cuts to colleges and universities" AP-NORC (May 9) "Six in 10 adults favor maintaining federal funding for scientific and medical research at colleges and universities while only about 3 in 10 support withholding federal funding from institutions for noncompliance with the president’s goals or removing their tax-exempt status."

"U.S. Department of Education Welcomes Dr. Amber Northern as Senior Advisor. Dr. Northern Will Focus on Reforming the Institute of Education Sciences" (May 30) "Dr. Northern will work with Dr. Matthew Soldner, Acting Director at IES, Institute staff, and external experts and stakeholders, to ensure IES is delivering high-quality and actionable research, relevant data, and proven best practices for researchers, educators, and education leaders. IES has failed to provide a clear and compelling research agenda that puts students at the center. Its research contracts often prioritized politically charged topics and entrenched interests over classroom best practices and tools, even while American students experienced historic levels of learning loss following the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Northern will help lead a process to reenvision IES and return it to its core mission 'to provide national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood through postsecondary study.' ... Amber Northern is on leave from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, where she recently served as the Senior Vice President for Research." 

[Allegations of antisemitism] "U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Sends Letters to 60 Universities Under Investigation for Antisemitic Discrimination and Harassment" Dept. of Education (Mar. 10)
Response to Columbia U. letter from Columbia law faculty members, "A Title VI Demand Letter That Itself Violates Title VI (and the Constitution)" (Mar. 15)

Other agencies and organizations

NPR “Census Bureau Director Robert Santos is resigning, making way for Trump's pick” (January 30, 2025) “The director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Robert Santos, announced Thursday he is resigning, giving President Trump an early opportunity to nominate a new political appointee to lead the agency.”
"Census Bureau under Trump seeks permission to delete questions about gender identity" The Independent (Mar. 4)

"National Academies is altering pending reports to appease Trump administration, some members say" STAT (Feb. 20)

"Pentagon abruptly ends all funding for social science research" Science (Mar. 10) "The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is ending all of its funding for social science research, stopping 91 ongoing studies related to threats such as climate change, extremism, and disinformation. In a press release issued late on Friday, the department wrote that it would 'focus on the most impactful technologies' and that research it funds 'must address pressing needs to develop and field advanced military capabilities.' '[DOD] does not do climate change crap,' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X on Sunday. 'We do training and war fighting.' The cuts include the entire Minerva Research Initiative, a landmark project established in 2008 “to help DOD better understand and prepare for future challenges.' ”

CDC "Forbidden Terms" regarding gender: (Feb. 1) The independent news outlet Inside Medicine reports that "the CDC has instructed its scientists to retract or pause the publication of any research manuscript being considered by any medical or scientific journal, not merely its own internal periodicals. ... The move aims to ensure that no 'forbidden terms' appear in the work. ... CDC researchers were instructed to remove references to or mentions of a list of forbidden terms: 'Gender, transgender, pregnant person, pregnant people, LGBT, transsexual, non-binary, nonbinary, assigned male at birth, assigned female at birth, biologically male, biologically female,' according to an email sent to CDC employees.” (Feb. 4) Opinion: "Medical journal editors must resist CDC order and anti-gender ideology" BMJ "Publication ethics and professional standards define the work of medical journals, editors, and researchers. These are safeguards of best scientific practice and integrity—and will not yield to bad practice like gag orders, suppression, and authoritarian whims." (Related, Feb. 5) "Joint Letter Objecting to Censorship in New White House Executive Order on Gender Identity" Letter Signed by More Than 50 Organizations Representing Authors, Publishers, Booksellers, Librarians and Advocacy Nonprofits.

"CDC Staff Prohibited From Co-Authoring Papers With World Health Organization Personnel" Huffington Post (Feb. 28)
"In a sudden reversal, CDC rescinds some staff firings" NPR (Mar. 4)

"‘Draconian’ Layoffs, Grant Terminations Come for the NEH" Inside Higher Ed (Apr. 14) "The National Endowment for the Humanities sent termination notices to 65 percent of its employees Thursday evening in a move that experts say will have far-reaching consequences for higher education institutions and the communities they serve. The cuts to the NEH, which has a $200 million budget, come about a month after President Donald Trump forced out Shelly C. Lowe—the first Native American to head the agency—and a week after the agency terminated more than 1,000 grants."

American Alliance of Museums, Updates and Resources on the Impacts of Executive Orders (Jan. 28, updated regularly) Covers National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and other topics.

"President Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden" AP News (May 9)

"Good Policy Requires Good Data" Center on Education and the Workforce, Georgetown U. (Mar. 11) "We need to demonstrate how good data improve people’s daily lives. Destroying the remarkable data capacity we’ve built over the past few decades will leave us limping into the future instead of leading it."

Data Foundation Statement on Changes to Federal Evaluation Activities (Feb. 14) "Data Foundation documents rapid changes to federal evaluation capacity, including elimination of research offices across agencies, threatening government's ability to measure program effectiveness. "

The Association of Public Data Users issued a statement on February 1, 2025, that begins, in part "...on January 31, 2025, the administration began removing crucial data from public, federal government websites, including the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System–information that is used to address critical issues like teen suicide–and content related to sexual orientation and gender identity. ... Removing access to taxpayer funded public data from the public domain is unethical and contrary to the principle that these data are for the public and public good. It also sets a dangerous precedent that any administration could withhold public data for any reason." (ASA President Adia Harvey Wingfield issued a similar warning on the same date.)