The Trump administration imposed restrictions across the NIH and other federal agencies that froze grant reviews, external communications, travel, and hiring, and later proposed a 15% cap on indirect costs for NIH grants. The disruptions led to cancellations of more than $1.5 billion in grants by mid‑May 2025 and caused universities to pause admissions and hiring due to funding uncertainty. Researchers and clinical investigators reported halted trials, stalled grant decisions, and threats to early-career trainees. Scientific leaders warned about downstream impacts on translational research pipelines and clinical trials that rely on steady federal funding. Groups across academia and industry have been mobilizing to communicate the consequences to policymakers; the funding interruptions will likely influence hiring, trial enrollment, and partnerships between academic labs and biotech sponsors.