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We asked US researchers how the Trump administration's science policies have affected them

Phys · · 880 words · By Eric Welch; Timothy P Johnson
Academic Freedom and Self-Censorship US Global Competitiveness Impact of Political Policy on Science

The authors present results from a survey of 280 academic scientists regarding the impact of the second Trump administration's policies on research. The findings indicate declines in funding, challenges in international recruitment, and an increase in self-censorship among the surveyed researchers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-trump-administration-science-policies-affected.htm…

analyticsAnalysis

30%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 90%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
warning
Causal Oversimplification 70% confidence
Assuming a single cause for a complex issue.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

16 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 6
info Single Source 5
verified Verified 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
info
“since the start of the second Trump administration in January 2025, new federal policies have destabilized the American scientific enterprise”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results for this claim are generic definitions of the word 'second' and do not provide any information regarding a Trump administration in 2025 or its impact on science.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day, first into hours, then into minutes, and lastly into seconds, for a total of 24 × 60 × 60 = 86 400 seconds per day. That …
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · The meaning of SECOND is next to the first in place or time. How to use second in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Second definition: A brief interval of time; a moment.
https://www.yourdictionary.com/second
verified
“We are researchers affiliated with Arizona State University's scientist opinion panel survey, known as SciOPS, a 5-year research program designed to monitor, understand, and improve how scientists communicate with the public.”
VERIFIED
Multiple search results confirm that SciOPS (Scientist Opinion Panel Survey) is a research platform developed by the Center for Science, Technology and Environmental Policy Studies at Arizona State University.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Arizona is the sixth-largest state by area and the 14th-most-populous of the 50 states. It is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on Febru…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Plan the perfect vacation with Arizona's official travel guide. Discover inspiring things to do from outdoor fun to arts and culture, events, and culinary hot spots.
https://www.visitarizona.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Feb 7, 2024 · Arizona, a state in the United States, shares its borders with Utah to the north, New Mexico to the east, the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the south, and California an…
https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/united-states/arizona
info
“We obtained responses from 280 scientists from several fields, including biology, chemistry, civil and environmental engineering, computer and information science engineering, geography, and public health from 131 universities.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the SciOPS program is verified, the specific sample size of 280 scientists from 131 universities is not explicitly corroborated across multiple independent sources in the provided evidence; the evidence mentions a pilot frame of 12,000, but not this specific subset.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Build and design a survey or form in no time with AI, start from scratch or use one of our 500+ templates.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Use Microsoft Forms to easily create online surveys, forms, quizzes and questionnaires. AI powered, free survey tool from Microsoft.
https://forms.microsoft.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — With our free survey creator you can create surveys that work on mobile devices, tablets and desktop computers. Before you share your survey, just head into Preview mode to see how it looks on differe…
https://surveyplanet.com/
info
“Since the second Trump administration took office in January 2025, just over half of the scientists in our survey report that their overall funding has declined.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The SciOPS website mentions asking about changes since January 2025, but the specific statistic that 'just over half' reported a funding decline is not corroborated by a second independent source in the provided text.
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web search NEUTRAL — In this section, we asked about changes in scientists’ professional activities, research involvement, and career considerations since January 2025.
https://sci-ops.org/survey/science-impact/scientists-researc…
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web search NEUTRAL — First stage. Since 2020, SciOPS has built a pilot sample frame of approximately 12,000 academic scientists in four STEM fields: biology, geography, civil and environmental engineering, and public heal…
https://tipengchen.com/uploads/ChenPlosOne2025.pdf
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web search NEUTRAL — I’m excited to share our latest survey results from the SciOPS project, which explored academic scientists’ perspectives on research misconduct, institutional policies, and the role of AI in research …
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lesleyfmichalegko_science-imp…
info
“Around one-quarter of scientists reported that state and local and university internal funding have also declined.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The SciOPS website explicitly states that 'about one-quarter (28%) reporting a decrease' in internal university funding.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Scientists’ Research Environment. Survey Section 3. Scientists’ Opinions on Science Policy, Public Trust and Competitiveness.Internal university funding appears more mixed, with about one-quarter (28%…
https://sci-ops.org/survey/science-impact/scientists-researc…
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web search NEUTRAL — This study draws on six survey experiments conducted by the SciOPS (Scientist Opinion Panel Survey) survey panel, a science communication platform developed by the Center for Science, Technology and E…
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal…
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web search NEUTRAL — This study draws on six survey experiments conducted by the SciOPS (Scientist Opinion Panel Survey) survey panel, a science communication platform developed by the Center for Science, Technology and E…
https://tipengchen.com/uploads/ChenPlosOne2025.pdf
verified
“Another 9% reported that internal funding has increased”
VERIFIED
The SciOPS website explicitly states that '9% reporting an increase' in internal university funding.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The majority of scientists reported no change in the dollar amount from research funding sources since January 2025. Among those reporting changes, decreases were more common than increases.
https://sci-ops.org/survey/science-impact/scientists-researc…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Survey research is a primary method used to investigate the opinions, perceptions and behaviors of academic scientists. However, little is known about the most successful appeal strategies for eliciti…
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal…
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web search NEUTRAL — Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. range of topics relevant to STEM academic scientists,…
https://tipengchen.com/uploads/ChenPlosOne2025.pdf
verified
“Just over half of scientists in our survey reported that international students or postdocs have expressed concerns to them about deportation.”
VERIFIED
The SciOPS website explicitly states that 'over half (56%) reported student or postdoc concerns about deportation'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postdoctoral_researcher
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web search NEUTRAL — Scientists’ Research Environment. Section 2. Survey Overview and Demographics.Additionally, over half (56%) reported student or postdoc concerns about deportation, while 45% reported student and postd…
https://sci-ops.org/survey/science-impact/scientists-researc…
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web search NEUTRAL — Fig 2 presents academic scientists’ specific concerns regarding this technology. Foremost among these is concern over misinformation, which echoes the national discourse on political polarization, wit…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12393709/
info
“Over 80% of surveyed scientists reported that graduate students or postdocs on their research team have increased concerns about future job prospects.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions of the word 'more' and a Pink Floyd album, providing no factual information regarding the claim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — More is the first soundtrack album and third studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd. It was released on 13 June 1969 in the United Kingdom by EMI Columbia and on 9 August 1969 in the United Stat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_(soundtrack)
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web search NEUTRAL — May 13, 2026 · Examples of more in a Sentence Adjective I felt more pain after the procedure, not less. The new engine has even more power. You like more sugar in your tea than I do.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/more
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web search NEUTRAL — (used with a pl. verb) A greater or additional number of persons or things: I opened only two bottles but more were in the refrigerator.
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/more
help
“Over two-thirds reported more work-related stress, and almost half reported increased workloads since January 2025.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
help
“About half reported decreased work motivation.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
schedule
“Over half reported having reviewed or adjusted key words in research proposals, and almost half said they'd reframed research topics.”
PENDING
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“Forty-three percent had also cautioned students or collaborators to be careful what they say publicly”
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“more than a third had abandoned plans on one or more research topics.”
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“nearly two-thirds of the scientists in our sample appear to be considering one or more other career options.”
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“A large majority (87%) believe the administration's actions have influenced research priorities more than previous administrations.”
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“Large majorities believe these policies have harmed public perceptions of the integrity of U.S. scientists (85%) and hurt public trust in science (84%).”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.