DOGE Has Now Terminated Nearly 16,000 Federal Grants Worth $49 Billion

The Department of Government Efficiency's grant termination campaign has reached a staggering scale: nearly 16,000 federal grants worth approximately $49 billion have been terminated since April 2025, touching virtually every major grant-making agency in the federal government.

Which Agencies Lost the Most

The terminations hit unevenly across the federal landscape. The National Science Foundation lost over $1 billion in already-awarded grants, with 1,752 awards terminated — nearly two-thirds concentrated in STEM Education and Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences.

AmeriCorps was devastated, losing nearly $400 million in funding that supported over 1,000 programs and 32,000 positions. The Department of Justice saw 373 grants worth $820 million for violence reduction and victim services terminated. FEMA lost nearly $1 billion in resilience programs. And TRIO programs had $660 million withheld across 2,000 programs.

Five Categories of Grants Targeted

The terminations follow a clear pattern across five categories: diversity and inclusion initiatives, international and foreign aid programs, climate and environmental research, social services including violence reduction and substance abuse treatment, and humanities and social sciences research.

Grants in behavioral sciences, social sciences, and humanities-adjacent fields faced significantly higher termination rates than those in physical sciences and engineering. NSF specifically identified "diversity, equity, and inclusion research" and "studies related to misinformation and disinformation" as categories being cut.

Legal Challenges and What Comes Next

Multiple lawsuits have challenged DOGE's authority under Executive Order 14222, issued February 26, 2025. Some federal judges have blocked or reversed specific terminations, but litigation remains slow and no broad restoration has occurred.

The practical impact extends beyond terminated grants. The chilling effect on future applications, the organizational capacity destroyed when experienced staff are laid off, and projects that were never proposed because the funding environment felt too unstable — none of these appear in the headline figures.

Organizations with active federal grants should review award amendments for termination-for-convenience clauses, maintain audit-ready financial documentation, and build at least three-month operating reserves. According to recent surveys, 82 percent of nonprofits are now expanding into private and corporate grants. Tools like grantedai.com can help identify alternative funding sources.

For a comprehensive survival guide and the latest termination data, visit the Granted blog.