Abstract
The current U.S. federal administration has sought to intervene into every aspect of academic life, university functioning, and the research enterprise including by attacking academic freedom and integrity and canceling and retreating from publicly funded research. Such actions have profound adverse effects on the U.S. public, especially its most marginalized communities, and on science, itself. This perspective provides a telling example of such impacts through our own experience of funding cancellation, the disruptions it causes and the effects it has on urban systems and the communities they support. By focusing on our project that sought to center environmental justice communities in urban transportation and climate planning we offer insights into the wide-ranging effects of such disinvestment, including on sustainability and air quality efforts, with recommendations for moving forward to advance sustainable, equitable, and resilient cities.
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S.C., C.E.B.C., and J.M.B. conceptualized, wrote, and revised the manuscript.
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Contreras, S., Cannon, C.E.B. & Barajas, J.M. Beyond research delays: science funding disruptions limit community participation in climate and infrastructure planning. npj Urban Sustain (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-026-00374-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-026-00374-5
