FY2026 Science Budget Rejects Trump Cuts but Growth Stays Flat
March 6, 2026 · 2 min read
Claire Cummings
The FY2026 spending package that passed the House rejects the deepest proposed cuts to federal science agencies, preserving the core funding architecture for NIH, NSF, DOE, and EPA. But "preserved" is not "growing" — and after years of flat budgets, inflation is quietly doing what Congress refused to do explicitly.
The headline numbers: NSF receives $8.8 billion, down slightly from approximately $9 billion in FY2025 but more than double the administration's proposed $3.9 billion. The DOE Office of Science gets a 1.9 percent increase. NIST rises 2.3 percent. EPA lands at $8.8 billion, a 3.5 percent cut from FY2025 but still more than double what the White House requested.
Where the Cuts Landed
NASA takes a 1.6 percent reduction. EPA's budget, while surviving the administration's attempt to gut it, remains historically low when adjusted for inflation, according to the Environmental Protection Network. NSF's education programs hold at $938 million, and the Graduate Research Fellowship Program maintains roughly $285 million — but with only 1,000 fellows awarded last year, the per-fellowship math is getting worse.
The Senate Is Next
Both chambers are expected to vote on the reconciled package this week. President Trump's signature is required for final enactment. Senator Patty Murray characterized the bill as rejecting the push to "let our competitors do laps around us by slashing federal funding for scientific research."
What Grant Seekers Should Understand
Flat budgets with rising costs mean effective purchasing power at every agency is declining. Researchers should expect tighter competition for the same nominal dollar amounts. Diversifying across federal, state, and foundation sources is no longer optional — it is the baseline strategy. Granted helps researchers identify opportunities across all three sectors to build a resilient funding portfolio.