Cuts raise questions about science's future in U.S.

• This includes climate research and weather forecasting, as well as public health, space exploration, and basic research and development.

Zoom in: On Tuesday, 168 employees were dismissed at the NSF, or about 10% of the agency's staff. This may be the start of a further curtailed budget and staff at that science funding agency.

• "In an era driven by rapid scientific advancement, this action, along with the numerous other attacks on science from the Trump administration, will hinder innovation and threaten our nation's global competitiveness," Rep. Bill Foster, an Illinois Democrat and physicist, said in a post on Bluesky.

At NASA, according to media reports, probationary employees — mainly newer staff members, but also people who had transferred agencies or recently been promoted — were cut at offices nationwide, though some staff reductions may still come.

• This may leave the aeronautics and space agency with "upwards of 1,000" fewer employees than it had on Monday, the Planetary Society said in a statement.
• "NASA is complying with the guidance and direction provided by OPM. It's premature to discuss the impact to our agency at this time," NASA said in a statement to Axios on Tuesday.

The intrigue: The U.S. faces growing competition for science and technology leadership from China, in particular.

• The culling of the newest generation of scientists from the Energy Department, EPA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other parts of HHS has raised questions about where researchers will seek jobs.
• Similar questions may be asked about specialists in extreme weather, climate change, space exploration and astronomy as agencies shrink and limit their duties.

At NSF, concerns are centered around the agency's ability to play a leading role in funding and steering U.S. science.

• An NSF employee who requested anonymity out of fear of retribution said they are scared about the remaining probationary employees as well as others being let go.

• "If large cuts are applied across agencies, NSF may be crippled in a way that may be unrecoverable," they said. "We can't do this work with a computer, we need true expertise and human intelligence."

What they're saying: Scientific societies have spoken out.

• "It seems apparent that the weather and climate enterprise we know today will not be the same tomorrow," said David Stensrud, president of the American Meteorological Society, in a statement on Feb. 6, following President Trump's executive orders on climate, energy and other topics.
• Willie May, outgoing president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said at its recent annual meeting: "We can't let the political histrionics distract us from our best efforts to foster a resilient science and technology enterprise over the long term.
• "We must remain focused on the long game."

The bottom line: It isn't clear yet how much smaller U.S. climate, extreme weather and energy research agencies will be after what may be multiple rounds of cuts.

• But opportunities for conducting cutting-edge research using federal assets will almost certainly shrink. And the likelihood of a scientific brain drain to other nations will increase.