Musk’s DOGE Cuts Are Gutting Cancer Research

Elon Musk’s attempts to slash “government waste” through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have crippled the systems that drive lifesaving medical breakthroughs. Among the hardest hit is vital cancer research. 

NIH & Research Institutions in Crisis

The most damaging policy change came in the form of capping reimbursements to universities at 15%—a steep drop from previous rates of 60%. This change alone gutted the NIH budget, freezing hundreds of cancer studies midstream. Over 800 research grants—covering cancers, Alzheimer’s, and other critical diseases—have been canceled. The layoffs have also been staggering: 2,500 NIH scientists and 3,500 FDA staff are gone. Research universities have been thrown into chaos. Hiring freezes, canceled PhD programs, and project delays are now the norm. 

Cuts to Pediatric Cancer Funding

Children battling cancer have also been hit hard. Last-minute changes to the 2025 federal spending bill removed pediatric cancer provisions, cutting off support for Medicaid access and reviewing vouchers that encouraged drug development for rare childhood cancers. In places like Laredo, nonprofits like Smiles From Heaven—lifelines for families—are struggling to meet the needs of children who once had access to promising therapies.

Risks Moving Forward

Scientists and policy leaders are sounding alarms about a future that could take decades to repair. Without sustainable funding, the U.S. risks a devastating “brain drain,” as top cancer researchers leave for countries with more stable support, taking their expertise and innovations with them. The Union of Concerned Scientists has already filed suit against DOGE, warning that these cuts are not only harmful but potentially illegal, putting countless lives in jeopardy.

International voices have joined the outcry. The U.K.’s Royal Society, one of the world’s oldest scientific institutions, has condemned the U.S. administration’s disregard for science, warning that the erosion of trust and infrastructure will set back medical progress for a generation. 

The Real Cost

Every day that research stalls is a day patients, families, and children can’t afford to lose. Not only does this set scientific progress back by years, it tears through the lives of real people—patients in desperate need of hope, families clinging to the promise of new treatments, and children who deserve the chance to grow up.