The Environmental Protection Agency cut Marina Vance’s grant aimed at helping homeowners mitigate wildfire smoke exposure, telling the researcher the project was “no longer consistent” with agency priorities. Vance, whose work connected air‑quality science to practical interventions for at‑risk communities, says the termination interrupted field studies and community outreach plans. The move highlights the fragility of federal research funding and creates immediate operational and personnel questions for university labs dependent on agency grants. Academic administrators and research offices will need to advise faculty on contingency funding and communication with impacted communities.