federal science workforce

A woman holds a sign reading "save the civil service, save the USA" at the SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY Rally at USAID HQ at Ronald Reagan Building along 14th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 February 2025

Elvert Barnes/Flickr CC by SA 2.0

September 1, 2026

The Trump Administration Is Dismantling One of America’s Greatest Strategic Assets: Its Scientific Workforce

UCS Science Network

A screenshot of the front page of the UCS Attacks on Science Tracker documenting that the current administration has attacked science almost 600 times since taking office until July 31, 2026.

August 13, 2026

Ask a Scientist: How Do We Track the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Science?

Guest Commentary

Alex Wong/Getty Images

October 22, 2025

Under President Trump’s Direction, Scientific Protections Are Disappearing at Record Speed

UCS Science Network

In front of a podium hung with signs that read VACCINES WORK, Dr. Roger Mitchell of the National Medical Association speaks during a news conference on vaccine safety and efficacy with Senator Bernie Sanders, doctors, and public health experts on Capitol Hill on September 9, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

October 2, 2025

Science and Democracy under Siege: A Day in My Life

Darya Minovi
Fair Access Research Manager

A tourist catches her breath after climbing the steps at the Lincoln Memorial during a heatwave.

Nathan Howard/Getty Images

July 24, 2025

What We’re Watching: Climate and Political Whiplash

Shana Udvardy
Senior Climate Resilience Policy Analyst

Close up on a car dashboard cluster with the check engine warning light on indicating a car failure.

matsou/Getty Images

July 23, 2025

The Great American Engine Stall: Science Budget Cuts Threaten US Innovation

Melissa L. Finucane
Former Staff

A person holds a sign reading STOP FIRING FEDERAL WORKERS outside the Atlanta, GA, headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control

Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

April 4, 2025

Ode to the Federal Scientist

Gretchen Goldman
President and CEO of UCS

An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contractor works to remove hazardous waste from a home destroyed in the Eaton Fire on February 11, 2025 in Altadena, California.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

March 24, 2025

EPA Staff Stand Firm As Administration Lobs Cuts, Baseless Accusations, and Cruelty

Derrick Z. Jackson
Former Fellow

A close-up of the top of a graduation cap that reads "right here is a future nurse," from a photo taken at commencement for Bowie State University in Maryland, a Historically Black College/University.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

March 20, 2025

The Threats to Higher Education: A Call to Action

Melissa L. Finucane
Former Staff

Researchers monitor severe weather on their computers

Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images

March 12, 2025

A Hundred Attacks and Counting: What Happened to Federal Science in February

Jules Barbati-Dajches
Analyst

Alex Wong/Getty Images

March 10, 2025

We Are Charting a Path for Science in the Trump Era

Gretchen Goldman
President and CEO of UCS

President Trump signs an executive order at the White House.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

March 6, 2025

President Trump’s Cabinet of Polluters, Frackers and Climate Crisis Deniers Rushes to Gut Protections

Derrick Z. Jackson
Former Fellow

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

March 5, 2025

Musk Is Pushing the Great American Innovation Machine to the Brink

Julie McNamara
Federal Energy Policy Director

A senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center works on tracking Hurricane Beryl in 2024.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

March 3, 2025

What Does NOAA Do for Us, and How Can We Defend It?

UCS Science Network

People take part in the March For Science after a rally on the National Mall on April 14, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

February 4, 2025

Dear Federal Scientists: Please Don’t Give Up

UCS Science Network

Female scientist reading notebook next to microscope in lab.

Marco DVM/Getty Images

January 20, 2025

An Open Letter to Federal Science Workers in the Second Trump Administration

Chitra Kumar
Former Contributer

USEPA/Eric Vance

January 16, 2025

The Trump Administration’s Plans to Fire Federal Science Workers Is Not a Done Deal

Taylor Pendergrass
Director, Policy & Advocacy

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

January 15, 2025

Musk and Ramaswamy’s DOGE Strategy: Bully Federal Scientists

Karen Perry Stillerman
Deputy Director

A woman in a scientific laboratory, wearing a lab coat and gloves.

National Cancer Institute/Unsplash

September 12, 2024

How Can We Defend Government Science from Political Interference?

Anita Desikan
Former Staff

federal scientist at CDC

November 14, 2023

Post-Trump Brain Drain Largely Restored at Key Federal Agencies But More Work Needed on Diversity

Jacob Carter
Former Contributor

Two BIPOC FDA scientists wearing labcoats and protective gear prepare liquid containing nutrients that make it an ideal environment for growing bacteria. They are part of a group of researchers nicknamed “Team Tomato,” who try to understand and prevent Salmonella contamination early in the tomato production process.

Michael J. Ermarth for FDA/Flickr

November 7, 2023

A Diverse Federal Scientific Workforce Benefits All of Us

Johanna Chao Kreilick
Former President

Woman scientist looking through microscope

Tru Katsande/Unsplash

November 7, 2023

New Analysis: Federal Agencies Need to Recruit More Scientists from Diverse Universities

Anita Desikan
Former Staff

Scientist in a lab

Diane Serik/Unsplash

March 1, 2023

Top Three Findings from the Latest UCS Survey of Federal Scientists

Anita Desikan
Former Staff

scientist at CDC

September 7, 2022

New UCS Survey Asks Federal Scientists: How are You Faring in the Biden Administration?

Anita Desikan
Former Staff