“Supporting Science: The Shifting of Funding Landscapes and UW–Madison”
April 2025
By ELIZABETH SIAW
Edited by EMMA TUCKER
If you’ve been immersed in classes, labs, or just trying to make it through the semester, you may have caught wind of some troubling headlines repeated in solemn voices: budget cuts, cancelled grants, funding issues. For several months, the Trump administration has been making major cuts to federal research funding, pulling support from key science programs across the country (Diamond & Keating, 2025). While these decisions may seem like distant policy movements, they have immediate and tangible effects — especially at major research universities at UW–Madison —and could shape everything from job opportunities to grad school options in the years to come. Here's what you need to know and why it matters.
The Current Crisis
Recently, massive federal budget cuts have impacted funding for major research programs across the country; funding for core agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Science Foundation (NSF) has been either frozen or slashed (Tollefson et al., 2025). These cuts affect a wide range of work-- from vaccine development and climate science to mental health research and diversity initiatives.
As a result? Grants are disappearing. Labs are shutting down. Scientists are being laid off. And research institutions—including universities--are scrambling to stay afloat, often unable to afford even basic lab essentials like gloves, pipettes, paper towels, and Petri dishes (Garisto & Tollefson, 2025). Some researchers are even considering moving abroad, seeking more stable funding in Europe and Canada (Langin, 2025).
For students too, the impact is twofold: fewer graduate program spots and shrinking job opportunities. With labs downsizing and research positions vanishing, the ripple effects of the funding slashes on academia are occurring everywhere — meaning fewer publications, fewer chances to network, and greater competition for the same limited roles. Worse yet, admissions to some graduate and training programs have been paused or canceled, and offers for internships, assistantships, and even PhD positions are being suspended or withdrawn (Garisto, 2025).
UW-Madison’s Response
Like many other institutions, UW-Madison is already feeling the effects of federal budget reductions. Over $12 million in research funding has been lost, resulting in the termination of several key projects—including studies on coronavirus vaccines, mental health, and public policy (Kremer, 2025). Hiring freezes are widespread, with one faculty member reporting the elimination of 10 graduate positions and 14 undergraduate research roles within her department alone (Hanley, 2025). Though not confirmed, university officials have acknowledged that tuition increases may be considered in the future to offset these financial shortfalls (Beran, 2025).
Despite these setbacks, UW-Madison is actively pushing back. The university has joined legal challenges against the cuts, filing administrative appeals and lawsuits to contest federal decisions and protect ongoing research. (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025). On the ground, advocacy efforts are growing. Hundreds of students recently gathered at the Wisconsin State Capitol to protest the funding reductions (Kjeldsen, 2025). Faculty members are also encouraging students to stay engaged—sharing updates, supporting one another, and speaking out against related government actions, such as student visa terminations and the withholding of promised grants (Hanley, 2025)
Final Thoughts
These are undoubtedly challenging times for science and education. As the scientific community grapples with uncertainty, institutions like UW-Madison continue to adapt. Nevertheless, the resilience of researchers, educators, and students remains essential in navigating this complex landscape and driving the advancement of science and innovation. UW-Madison puts this resilience on full display, as its community rallies to keep science moving forward. At its core, science is about persistence, curiosity, and creativity—and despite the obstacles, those values remain vibrant across our campus and beyond.
References/Citations
Beran, L. (2025, February 11). UW-Madison provost: Trump research cuts could lead to tuition raise. Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin. https://isthmus.com/news/news/uw-madison-provost-trump-research-cuts-could-lead-to-tuition/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Diamond, D., & Keating, D. (2025, March 28). Trump promised scientific breakthroughs. Researchers say he’s breaking science. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/28/trump-administration-science-research-cuts/
Garisto, D. (2025). US universities curtail PhD admissions amid Trump science funding cuts. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00608-z
Garisto, D., & Tollefson, J. (2025). 'Totally broken’: how Trump 2.0 has paralysed work at US science agencies. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01245-2
Hanley, E. (2025, April 11). Over $12 million cut in critical research funding at UW-Madison. Over $12 Million Cut in Critical Research Funding at UW-Madison - the Daily Cardinal. https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2025/04/over-12-million-cut-in-critical-research-funding-at-uw-madison
Kjeldsen, V. (2025, March 8). Hundreds demonstrate at “Stand up for Science” rally at the Wisconsin State Capitol. https://www.wsaw.com. https://www.wsaw.com/2025/03/08/hundreds-demonstrate-stand-up-science-rally-wisconsin-state-capitol/
Kremer, R. (2025, April 11). More than $12M in UW-Madison research funding cut by Trump administration. WPR. https://www.wpr.org/news/uw-madison-research-funding-cut-trump-administration#:~:text=News%2C%20Politics%2C%20Research-,More%20than%20%2412M%20in%20UW%2DMadison,funding%20cut%20by%20Trump%20administration&text=More%20than%20%2412%20million%20in,Wisconsin%20and%2015%20other%20states.
Langin, K. (2025). International scientists rethink U.S. conference attendance. AAAS Articles DO Group. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ztuvx3c
Tollefson, J., Kozlov, M., Witze, A., & Garisto, D. (2025). Trump’s siege of science: how the first 30 days unfolded and what’s next. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00525-1
University of Wisconsin-Madison. (2025, April 15). UW–Madison participating in legal challenges to prevent wrongful funding cuts, grant terminations and delays. Federal Relations. https://federalrelations.wisc.edu/2025/04/15/uw-madison-participating-in-legal-challenges-to-prevent-wrongful-funding-cuts-grant-terminations-and-delays/
UW-Madison Chemical, Biological & Engineering Lab. (n.d.). JpCullen. https://media.jpcullen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/22073141/IMG_2700-1536x1164.jpg
Witze, A. (2025). 75% of US scientists who answered Nature poll consider leaving. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00938-y
