Stockholm:
Nobel Prize officials in Sweden have issued a stark warning that the Trump administration’s assault on science funding and academic freedoms could severely jeopardize the United States’ position as the world’s leading research nation, potentially causing global, irreversible harm to scientific progress.
Since taking office in January 2025, the US President has implemented billions of dollars in funding cuts, attacked the academic freedom of universities, and overseen massive layoffs of scientists across federal agencies.
Hans Ellegren, secretary general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, and economics, stated that the country’s dominance is now threatened. “In the post-war period, the US has taken over Germany’s role as the world’s leading scientific nation. When they now start cutting research funding, it threatens the country’s position,” he said. The US currently boasts more Nobel science laureates than any other nation, a legacy built on sustained investment in basic science.
Massive Funding Cuts Trigger Uncertainty
According to an independent database, Grant Watch, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has terminated 2,100 research grants totaling approximately $9.5 billion and $2.6 billion in contracts since January. Affected projects span critical areas including gender studies, the health effects of global warming, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.
Thomas Perlmann, secretary general of the committee that awards the Nobel Prize for Medicine, called the United States “the very engine” of scientific research worldwide. While he acknowledged that the high number of US laureates is “no coincidence,” he cautioned that “there is now a creeping sense of uncertainty about the US’ willingness to maintain their leading position in research.”
Perlmann warned that if the US research engine “starts to falter,” there would be “very serious consequences for research globally.” He emphasized the speed at which damage can occur: “It doesn’t take very many years of large cutbacks to cause irreversible harm.”
The Threat of ‘Brain Drain’
Both Ellegren and Perlmann cautioned that Trump’s policies could trigger a “brain drain” effect, with ripple effects across international research collaboration. They argued that scientists who have lost their jobs or funding may not return to their fields even if budgets are eventually restored. Furthermore, prospective young scientists may decide against pursuing research careers altogether.
“There is a risk that a whole generation of young researchers will be lost,” Ellegren warned, noting that international cooperation is already suffering as a direct result of the cuts, even though the policies primarily target domestic US research.
