Publicly funded science and environmental conservation have driven some of the greatest achievements of the past century, including eradicating deadly diseases, putting humans in space, growing our national parks system and building foundations for the digital technology we rely on every day. Nearly every aspect of our lives is made possible—and made better—by the tens of thousands of federal employees who show up to work every day to deliver safe food, effective medicines, cutting-edge technology, economic prosperity and vital public lands.
But right now, this critical work is under attack.
In 2025, the federal government lost more than 117,000 public servants working in health, science and environmental agencies. Indiscriminate cuts to these agencies, and their programs and workforces, is unraveling decades of progress, putting us all at risk.
The Partnership for Public Service’s new product, The Cost of Cutting American Science, combines rich data and original storytelling to illuminate the many successes of public investment in biomedical science, food safety and scientific innovation to safeguard communities and the environment. This interactive tool highlights what’s at risk when these investments decline and the real-world impact of federal science cuts on communities and individuals across the country.
We encourage you to use this toolkit to help uplift stories about federal science—and why we need it. We also invite you to share stories connected to you and your community’s own experiences with public science.
Key Messages and Impact Data
- Public servants working in food and agriculture, biomedical research, public health, and national parks and public lands make America safer, stronger and more prosperous.
- We rely on federal employees in science and the environment to help deliver safe food, clean water, effective medicines, economic prosperity, beautiful outdoor spaces and more. Indiscriminate cuts to federal science agencies, programs and workforces put all of this at risk.
- Now is the time to unite and protect our government’s investments in essential science programs and the people who work on them.
- Grants from federal science agencies decreased 24% between 2024 and 2025, affecting research institutions, universities, private companies and communities nationwide.
- Federal science agencies lost more than 117,000 employees between September 2024 and February 2026.
- In 2025, the sectors most affected by federal workforce decreases were national parks and public lands (over 27%), scientific discovery and technological innovation (over 23%), and food and agriculture (nearly 23%).
- Most states saw a decrease in funding from project grants and research and development contracts from science agencies, with notable project grant decreases in Mississippi and Colorado. The largest R&D contract decreases occurred in Arkansas, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Kansas.
Email Message Template
Subject line options:
- The Cost of Cutting American Science: What’s at stake for our health and our future
- New resource: The Cost of Cutting American Science
Body message:
Hi [First Name],
I want to share a new resource from the Partnership for Public Service. The Cost of Cutting American Science, an interactive tool combining data and storytelling, highlights the federal government’s leadership in safeguarding U.S. health and science since World War II, demonstrating what’s at risk as federal science agencies are hollowed out.
While most Americans agree that the federal government should fund basic scientific research, indiscriminate cuts to federal science agencies, programs and workforces directly harm the public. These actions have weakened food safety, disrupted health-alert systems, slowed medical advancements, and delayed, paused or ended projects to improve communities’ disaster risk or conservation work.
For example, this product shows:
- A 24% decrease in project grant funding from science agencies between 2024 and 2025
- A loss of more than 117,000 employees working in federal science agencies between September 2024 and February 2026
- A decrease in project grant and research and development funding from science agencies in most states, with large project decreases in Mississippi and Colorado and large R&D decreases in Arkansas, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Kansas
Share This Product
American prosperity was built on science, and our quality of life has significantly improved thanks to federal investments in public health, biomedical research, the environment and public lands. The civil servants working in these and other fields protect our communities and our nation. Without them, everything from the water we drink to innovative medical treatments to our national parks is threatened.
Explore The Cost of Cutting American Science here.
Join me and share this resource and its stories with peers, neighbors, friends, and medical, health and science professionals. You can play a part in protecting public science that serves us all. Spread the word about why we need federal investment in public servants and the programs they deliver to protect us and make our lives better.
Thank you,
[Name of sender]
Marketing Materials
Newsletter blurb
The Partnership for Public Service just launched The Cost of Cutting American Science, an interactive tool combining data and storytelling that highlights the federal government’s leadership in safeguarding our health and communities since World War II.
From lifesaving medical breakthroughs to clean water, safer communities and protected public lands, federal employees in science and the environment improve our lives in so many ways.
This is the moment to protect their vital work. Join us in highlighting what’s at risk if federal science agencies continue to be hollowed out.
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