Fourteen federal research agencies lost thousands of Ph.D. holders in STEM and health roles in 2025, producing a net decline of 4,224 senior scientists and researchers, Science reported after analyzing Office of Personnel Management data. Departures outpaced hires by roughly 11 to 1 at the affected agencies, with retirements and voluntary quits cited as primary reasons. The National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation saw particularly steep drops; the NIH lost more than 1,100 Ph.D.s in 2025 versus 421 in 2024, and NSF eliminated a large share of rotator positions. Agency leaders and experts point to policy uncertainty, buyouts and concerns about the administration’s research agenda as push factors. The loss tightens constraints on federal research capacity and could affect grant management, peer review, program development and university‑agency partnerships—heightening risks to research continuity and postgraduate career pipelines.