Young Neuroscientists Abandon Careers as Trump-Era Cuts Threaten Brain Research

A decades-long boom in brain science in the U.S. may be unraveling. Persistent funding cuts, policy disruptions, and grant uncertainties under the Trump administration are driving many early-career neuroscientists to rethink their future. The risk is not only to individual careers — but also to critical research on disorders like autism and Alzheimer’s.

A Generation at Risk

Clara Zundel, a postdoctoral researcher at Wayne State University, studies how environmental pollution affects the developing brain. Her project is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), yet uncertainty looms. “I’m unsure whether support for my work will continue,” she says. Many universities are still enforcing hiring freezes, making stable employment a distant hope.

John Morrison, president of the Society for Neuroscience and a professor at UC Davis, highlights a growing sense of disillusionment. “Is it no longer possible to be the scientist I always wanted to be? Many will just choose something else — or leave the country.”

Grant Disruptions and Policy Shockwaves

The NIH typically awards five-year grants, but recent funding cycles have been upended. According to analysis by The Transmitter, new neuroscience grants from NIH’s dedicated institutes — NINDS and NIMH — have dropped dramatically. In one recent period, only 77 new grants totaling $35 million were awarded, a steep decline from averages seen over the past decade.

Some existing grants have been paused or even terminated midterm. This doesn’t just interrupt research—it can render years of work essentially moot. As Morrison puts it, disrupting a grant midway “disrupts the whole progression … and you’ll get to a point where the work that you’ve already done is worthless.”

Consequences for Alzheimer’s and Beyond

It’s not just basic science that’s in danger. Research centers for Alzheimer’s disease are also facing financial peril. Fourteen of the country’s 35 Alzheimer’s research centers have reported a combined $65 million in funding delays due to administrative hold-ups.

At institutions like the University of Pittsburgh, that shortfall threatens staff retention, long-term studies, and everything from brain biobanks to PET scan programs.

Meanwhile, proposed caps on “indirect costs” for NIH grants could further erode support for Alzheimer’s research facilities.

Why It’s Happening

According to the administration, the cutbacks are part of a push to eliminate waste, realign research with political priorities, and phase out funding for what it calls “woke science.”

But many in the scientific community argue that the long-term cost — in innovation, human talent, and public health — will far outweigh any short-term savings.

The Human Toll

Beyond missing lab meetings or cancelled grants, the cuts are eroding the morale and future pipeline of brain researchers. For someone like Zundel, the decision isn’t easy. “I absolutely love what I do … I want to continue doing that here in the United States,” she says — but she also prepares for the possibility that she might not be able to.