The US government is cutting or limiting rafts of funding for science and health research.
Some of the executive actions from President Donald Trump include freezing federal loans and grants, capping maintenance costs for labs (a move that has been temporarily blocked in court), and specific cuts targeting health and climate agencies.
The US Embassy in NZ website notes that it will be unable to process any new grant applications.
The SMC asked NZ experts to comment on how this could affect local research. Please feel free to use these comments in your reporting or follow up with the contact details provided.
Professor Craig Stevens, Department of Physics, University of Auckland, comments:
“From an ocean and Antarctic perspective some of the potential cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are exceedingly concerning. Reductions of up to 50% in terms of NOAA staff numbers have been reported. This organisation supports globally relevant data services, and associated research, that underpins almost all aspects of present ocean and Antarctic science.
“It’s fair to say over the last two decades the major advances in earth systems science have been in satellite sensing, modelling capability and Argo ocean monitoring. NOAA is a major player in satellite remote sensing and the Argo programme. At a recent NZ oceanographic workshop I asked how many people in the room used Argo data and fully 75% of researchers put their hands up.
“Satellite data are vital for tropical cyclone response. Also, in our Antarctic work we look at information from the National Snow and Ice Centre almost daily – and this is in part supported by NOAA. This is not the time to have less data about how Earth’s climate and weather are changing.
“More generally there seems to be great uncertainty about National Science Foundation (NSF) funding – this supports a wide swathe of new ideas in many areas of discovery. I work closely with several US researchers who regularly attract substantial support from the NSF.
“Indeed, five days ago, aboard RV Tangaroa we deployed around $300k of research equipment for an NSF funded project we are collaborating on.
“Our future plans with this team are now uncertain.
“Furthermore, targeting diversity aspects of research funding is very concerning as it is counter to advances in recent decades when we’ve worked out if we do better with our communities doing the research we have better outcomes.
“Making rapid, unsignalled, unilateral changes to research funding has the potential to be very damaging to the knowledge sector and reduce capacity to both innovate and respond to challenges.”
No conflicts of interest declared.
Dr Karly Burch, lecturer in sociology at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland; and Committee Member of the Early Career Researcher Forum, comments:
“The new US administration’s attempt to freeze science funding is not only about saving money to fund tax cuts for the rich. It needs to be viewed in relation to a wider strategy to transition the US to an authoritarian form of governance. Authoritarian leaders often engage in anti-intellectualism as a tactic to prevent the production of knowledge that might disrupt their authority. This can lead to a situation in which taxpayer money will only be used to fund research that supports the authoritarian regime (e.g., weapons production, surveillance) and not the wellbeing of the people paying for it (e.g., healthcare, social and environmental justice).
“A freeze in funding will have a particularly negative impact on early career researchers who make up the future of the research system: without supporting early career researchers, there will be no research system.
“The New Zealand administration’s recent decision to defund the humanities and social sciences is another example of anti-intellectualism that needs to be taken very seriously as a risk to democracy. Democratic governance requires difficult discussions and deliberations based in methodologically sound forms of knowledge production.
“Unfortunately, the US’s actions might further embolden anti-intellectual policies by the National-led coalition government. The full research system needs to be aware of the situation and prepared to stand together to oppose these threats both at home and abroad.”
No conflicts of interest.
Associate Professor Helen Petousis-Harris, Vaccinologist, University of Auckland, comments:
“In its first week, the Trump administration enacted the dismantling of public health structures.
“The consequences of this health policy apocalypse extend far beyond the United States. The US has historically played a leading role in global health initiatives, from funding vaccination programmes in low-income countries to spearheading research on emerging infectious diseases.
“With the US now retreating from global health leadership, other countries – including New Zealand – must prepare for the fallout. WHO programmes relying on US funding may collapse, leaving vulnerable populations without access to essential vaccines, treatments, and food aid. Global surveillance systems for emerging disease outbreaks are now weakened, increasing the risk of undetected pandemics.
“[Robert F Kennedy Jr] can only hand anti-vaccine groups the legitimacy they’ve always craved. Already, conspiracy theorists in New Zealand are using his expected appointment as ‘proof’ that our own public health institutions should be dismantled.
“New Zealand is not immune to the creeping influence of misinformation. The Covid-19 pandemic showed how quickly conspiracy theories can take hold, and with RFK Jr now leading US health policy, the anti-science movement will only gain strength.
“NZ must prioritise protecting public health. This means:
- Strengthening transparency and communication: With the US no longer a reliable source of global health data, other nations must step up. New Zealand must ensure that public health agencies remain transparent.
- Countering misinformation aggressively: The spread of false information will only intensify. Health professionals, educators, media, trusted voices – and you – must continue to challenge misinformation in real time and ensure that accurate, science-based information is readily available to all.
“RFK Jr’s appointment as US Secretary of Health and Human Services will be one of the most dangerous moments in modern public health history. The United States, once a powerhouse of scientific innovation is now actively working to dismantle the very foundations of medicine.
“Everyone worldwide will feel the repercussions.
“The fight against misinformation has never been more critical, and the stakes have never been higher.”
This comment is excerpted from an opinion piece first published by Newsroom.
No conflicts of interest declared.