"The National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health doled out about as much total grant funding in the recently ended fiscal year as they did the year before, despite the Trump administration's "unprecedented" earlier slowdown of federal science funding, Science reported Wednesday. According to the journal'sanalysis, "NSF committed approximately $8.17 billion to grants, fellowships, and other funding mechanisms in the 2025 fiscal year"-which ended Sept. 30-"about the same as in 2024." It found that NIH spending also remained level."
"But both federal research funding agencies still reduced the number of new grants they awarded, Science reported. It wrote that NSF funded about 8,800 new research project grants, down from 11,000 in 2024, adding that an anonymous NSF staffer said this "was one of several changes designed to reduce the agency's future financial obligations, in case Trump's proposed budget cut is realized." The analysis also found that the agency reduced from 2,600 to 1,100 "the number of new continuing grants, and 'forward funded' a number of existing continuing grants.""
NSF committed approximately $8.17 billion to grants, fellowships, and other funding mechanisms in fiscal year 2025, roughly matching 2024 levels. NIH spending remained level across the same period. Despite steady total spending, the agencies cut the number of new awards: NSF funded about 8,800 new research project grants in 2025, down from 11,000 the prior year. NSF reduced new continuing grants from 2,600 to 1,100 and forward-funded a number of existing continuing grants. An anonymous NSF staffer said some changes aimed to limit future financial obligations in case proposed budget cuts occur. Congressional appropriations for NSF remain undecided amid a continuing resolution.
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