Experts are warning that delays in federally funded research are creating a “chilling effect” on academic work. A report highlighted how the Trump administration’s budget priorities and grant distribution pace have slowed awards at agencies central to university research. As of March 24, the NIH had awarded only 15% of its nearly $40 billion academic research budget, while the NSF had dispersed about 20% of grants for the same comparison period, according to analyses cited in the report. The Office of Management and Budget’s expanded oversight role—through which discretionary funding must align with White House priorities—was described as a key driver of blocked or delayed allocations. The fallout is already reaching universities: institutions are pausing research initiatives and limiting Ph.D. and postdoctoral admissions, while faculty groups warn that instability could “create a negative impact” on scientific capacity and future workforce formation.