"Existential dread": Student and faculty views on the impact of changes in federal science funding to physics research

Abstract

Sustained investment in physics research is essential not only for advancing science and technology, but also for training the next generation of scientists, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers. Through their research experiences with faculty advisors, these trainees develop critical skills such as experimental design, data analysis, scientific communication, and collaborative problem-solving. Starting in early 2025, the United States administration introduced changes that affected the funding landscape for physics research: grant funding was slashed, grant review panels were delayed or canceled, and some universities froze hiring and research spending. This study aims to better understand the impacts of these changes to academic physics researchers at different career stages. Using survey responses from physics undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and associate professors, we find that most academic researchers perceive the impacts to their research as negative. Some of the most commonly reported impacts include loss of existing research funding, concern about obtaining research funding in the future, and job insecurity. We discuss differences in these impacts across career stages and potential implications for the research training pipeline in physics.