Environmental Protection Agency officials cut a grant supporting wildfire-smoke mitigation research led by Marina Vance, telling the researcher the project was “no longer consistent” with agency priorities. Vance’s work targeted homeowner interventions to reduce indoor smoke exposure after wildfires; the termination halted ongoing pilot studies and put community outreach at risk. The funding decision highlights political and priority shifts at federal research agencies and raises questions for university researchers who rely on agency grants. Academic labs and public‑health partners now face gaps in translating wildfire‑smoke science into household protections.