DOGE Terminated 1,752 NSF Grants Worth $1.4 Billion — STEM Education Hit Hardest

The Department of Government Efficiency terminated 1,752 active National Science Foundation grants worth approximately $1.4 billion over the past year, according to data compiled by Funding Landscape. The STEM Education directorate absorbed the heaviest blow, losing 839 grants valued at $888 million — nearly two-thirds of the total terminated value.

Which Research Areas Were Targeted

The terminations were not evenly distributed. Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences lost 320 grants worth $91 million. Categories flagged by DOGE included research related to diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as studies on misinformation and disinformation. Grants in physical sciences and engineering saw significantly lower termination rates.

These were not unfunded proposals — they were active awards. Researchers whose mid-stream funding was cut lost both remaining budgets and the ability to complete ongoing work. Graduate students and postdocs employed on terminated grants faced immediate employment disruption, and the downstream effects on lab operations, publications, and career trajectories will persist for years.

NSF Operating Under Severe Strain

The terminations compound an already dire situation at NSF. The agency has awarded just 613 new grants so far this fiscal year — roughly one-fifth the pace of prior years. Former Director Sethuraman Panchanathan resigned in April 2025, and no permanent replacement has been nominated. After his departure, Nature reported hundreds of additional terminations.

Congress rejected the administration's proposed 55 percent cut to NSF, appropriating $8.75 billion for FY2026. But the funding is flowing at a fraction of normal speed through an agency that has lost significant institutional capacity.

What Affected Researchers Should Know

Researchers whose grants were terminated should document all costs incurred and contact their NSF program officers about closeout procedures and potential pathways to restore funding. Those in affected disciplines — particularly STEM education, social sciences, and behavioral research — should diversify their funding strategies across DOE, DOD, NIH, and private foundations.

The new compliance landscape also demands attention: NSF now requires research security training for all senior personnel before proposal submission, and the merit review process has been significantly restructured. Stay current on NSF developments and alternative funding sources at grantedai.com.