The Future of Science is at Risk: Why Funding Cuts Hurt Young Innovators

Science thrives when young minds are given the chance to explore and innovate. Think about the impact of young scientists like Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who founded Google while still in graduate school, or Kizzmekia Corbett, who led the team that developed the COVID-19 vaccine. These success stories show how crucial it is to support a steady flow of young talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, recent cuts to research funding are putting this pipeline in jeopardy. The Trump administration slashed $8 billion from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), canceling thousands of research grants. This has led to early-career scientists leaving the field and STEM programs for K-12 students disappearing, despite evidence that early exposure to science inspires future careers in STEM. Two perspectives highlight the importance of this pipeline. One is from an undergraduate at Vassar College, who was inspired by a PBS show featuring scientists designing shoes for stroke rehabilitation. The other is from a former NIH-funded researcher who worked on a school-based video game to prevent opioid misuse among adolescents. Both experiences show how science can make a real difference in people's lives. Research shows that young scientists bring fresh ideas and creativity to the table. A 2022 study found that scientists often reach their creative peak early in their careers. Collaborations between young and senior scientists lead to stronger science. But with funding cuts, programs like a Chicago-based after-school robotics program for middle school girls and research projects involving young people as co-researchers at Columbia University and Virginia Commonwealth University have been canceled. These programs are crucial for developing critical thinking skills and ethical science. The consequences of these cuts go beyond innovation and skill development. STEM jobs provide greater security during economic downturns. During the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment rates for STEM workers were consistently lower than for non-STEM workers. This stability helps shield the economy from long-term stagnation. Some argue that universities lean toward progressive agendas and that defunding their scientific investigations addresses this bias. But this perception is misguided because science is not partisan, and these cuts undermine critical, lifesaving science. Even mRNA vaccine research, which made America a global leader during the COVID-19 pandemic, had grants terminated. Another NIH study exploring the risks of oral and throat cancers, which disproportionately affect gay men, was defunded simply because the abstract included “sexual and gender minority, ” despite its clear focus on cancer prevention. Young people want more involvement in science, not less. They want to contribute to research that reflects their lives and communities. Involvement in science ensures the research process is relevant to them and helps them build confidence, strengthen social connections, and form meaningful relationships with adult mentors. The Technology and Adolescent Mental Wellness (TAM) program is one example, where young people served as collaborators and contributors of science, even publishing a peer-reviewed paper on how technology use changed in 2020. Without reinstating NIH and NSF grants, the pipeline that nurtures the next generation of young scientists is at risk. For decades, government funding has sparked transformative research, from the development of the internet to breakthroughs in medicine and technology, that made the U. S. a global leader in innovation. Without taking immediate action, science will lose the innovators needed to tackle urgent public health crises, and society will lose breakthroughs that save lives and drive economic growth.