August 24, 2025

Big shock in education! The Trump administration has cut federal education research funding like never before. Grants worth hundreds of millions of dollars were pulled back, leaving the agencies that shape education policy almost empty. Massive grants stopped Earlier this year, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, canceled hundreds of grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). These grants were backing important projects like digital learning, early reading skills, and using tech in classrooms. One exciting project that got hit was making AI-powered bilingual e-books to help young kids learn English better. Other research on family reading and digital science learning also stopped because the money vanished. Institute of Education Sciences gutted The IES, the main federal agency for education research, lost almost 90% of its staff! Programs like the What Works Clearinghouse, which offers schools proven education advice, have stopped. The department also canceled contracts with 10 Regional Education Labs that helped states analyze data. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), key for collecting data, is now down to just a few workers. This threatens ongoing surveys and national education databases. Frozen studies affect learning Several big studies have paused. For example, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS), which followed kids who started school during COVID, stopped. The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) that looked at college funding paused too. Even new projects creating student tests after the No Child Left Behind Act have stopped. These projects were critical to understanding school choice, reading strategies, and the impact of pandemic learning loss. Now, future research has no solid federal data backup. Waves hit universities and researchers Universities are freezing PhD admissions in education because funding is uncertain. Young scholars see their career paths disrupted, and many laid-off researchers are switching to tech or private jobs. Big consulting and research firms that worked with the government are also cutting staff. This brain drain threatens the future of education research. Legal battles and some wins In June, the Supreme Court let the administration continue layoffs and changes. But some hope came from a class action lawsuit by university professors. A few NSF and NEH grants were brought back. Still, only about 20% of canceled contracts are active again, leaving many projects stuck. Wobbly future for evidence-based policy Though the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) may go on, experts warn that education research is on shaky ground. With tiny staff, stopped studies, and legal fights, America could lose decades of progress in science-based education policy. If funding and rebuilding don’t happen soon, the research gap will grow worse. This will hurt current projects and the training of future education leaders and researchers. (Source: The 74)

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Tags: Trump administration, Education research cuts, Institute of education sciences, Nsf grants, Academic layoffs, Education policy,