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  • NEWS EXPLAINER

The US government shutdown is over: what’s next for scientists

Government researchers are heading back to work, but questions about the size of research-budget cuts will extend into next year.
By
  1. Jeff Tollefson
  2. Alexandra Witze
  3. Dan Garisto

    1. Dan Garisto is a science journalist in Syracuse, New York.

The historic shutdown of the US government, which shuttered science agencies, halted grant operations and left tens of thousands of federal scientists without pay cheques, ended on 12 November after lasting a record-breaking 43 days. A deal approved by Congress and signed by US President Donald Trump will fund most government agencies until 30 January. Science advocates expressed hope that Congress will use this intervening time to finalize research budgets for the remainder of the 2026 fiscal year — which could help to ward off massive cuts proposed by the Trump administration.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-03706-0

With additional reporting by Jenna Ahart.

References

  1. Gulati, K. & Helmers, C. Preprint at SSRN http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5128968 (2025).

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