Opinion Piece: Trump's Proposed Science Budget Cuts Would Devastate American Research and Arizona's Economy

This opinion piece was originally submitted to the Arizona Daily Star on Friday, May 9th, 2025 following the release of the President's Budget Request.

As a graduate student of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Arizona working with the James Webb Space Telescope, I have devoted my career to answering some of humanity's most fundamental questions: How did we get here? When did the first planets, stars, and galaxies form? What forces have shaped the evolution of the cosmos? These important questions not only expand our understanding of existence but have established American leadership in scientific innovation for generations.

Yet American scientific progress now faces an existential threat.

The President's Budget Request released on May 2nd proposes devastating reductions to America's leading scientific agencies: a 52% cut ($4.7 billion) to the National Science Foundation, a 47% cut ($3.4 billion) to NASA's Science Mission Directorate, and a 14% cut ($1.1 billion) to the Department of Energy's Office of Science.

The proposed cuts are not simply numbers on a spreadsheet; they represent a deliberate dismantling of the American scientific enterprise that has fueled our nation's prosperity and security for nearly a century.

The consequences for Arizona would be severe. According to NASA's economic impact report, NASA supports 2,913 jobs in our state and generates $650 million in economic output. Here in Tucson, the University of Arizona received over $62 million from NASA and $44 million from the National Science Foundation in 2023 alone. These investments create high-paying jobs, develop technologies that improve lives, and fund groundbreaking research. My own research is made possible through NASA funding. Under the proposed budget, such research would grind to a halt.

However, most alarming is the potential exodus of scientific talent. According to a recent Nature survey, over 75% of American scientists are considering leaving the country following disruptions to research funding. Among early-career researchers like myself, the numbers are even higher — 78% are contemplating relocation to countries where science is still being valued.

Universities in Europe and Canada are seizing the “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to recruit top American scientists, according to Nature. This “brain drain” would have devastating long-term consequences for our nation's ability to innovate, compete economically, and address critical challenges from climate change to national security.

Some people in the government are arguing that these cuts only target ideologically objectionable programs. But as science historian Steve Blank explains, they're actually “dismantling the very infrastructure that made the United States a scientific superpower.” The American research systems emerged after World War II as a deliberate partnership between government, industry, and universities that propelled decades of exceptional economic growth and technological growth.

The proposed cuts reveal a dangerous misunderstanding — science is being treated as a commodity rather than a constitutional obligation. Universities are not luxuries; they are crucial democratic infrastructures. Their erosion signals broader democratic decay.

History has shown that once scientific leadership is lost, it is nearly impossible to regain. The United Kingdom never reclaimed its pre-WWII technological dominance after cutting research investments. If we allow American scientific supremacy to collapse, we may never recover this position of leadership.

The good news is that the President's Budget Request is just a proposal. Congress ultimately controls the funding decisions, and they need to hear from you. The American Astronomical Society has outlined some actions that Tucson residents can follow:

1. Write personalized emails to Representatives Raúl Grijalva and Ann Kirkpatrick in addition to Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema.
2. Make phone calls to your Representatives' and Senators' offices.
3. Request meetings with your Representatives and Senators, or their staff.
4. Organize or join an advocacy event at your workplace, school, or community.
5. Share your advocacy efforts using #SaveScience and #WeekOfAction.

Science is not a partisan issue. It is the foundation of progress, well-being, and a sustainable future. The question is not whether America can afford to fund science. The question is whether we can afford not to. Our economic future, national security, and position as a global leader depend on the decisions we make today.

Will we surrender our scientific leadership, or will we fight to preserve it? For Arizona's economy, for America's future, and for the next generation of scientists who will never exist if we abandon our commitment to discovery, I hope you will join me in this fight.

Jakob M. Helton is a doctoral candidate at the University of Arizona studying the most distant galaxies with the James Webb Space Telescope.