New Preprint: Assessing Challenges for U.S.-Based Polar Early Career Scientists During Science Policy Changes

USAPECS is pleased to share a new preprint examining how recent changes in U.S. science policy and federal research funding are affecting early-career researchers in polar and cryosphere science.

Between November 2025 and March 2026, our team surveyed 100 U.S.-based polar and cryosphere early-career researchers about research funding, career outlook, professional well-being, fieldwork, mobility, and plans to remain in the field.

The results point to substantial concern across the community. 96% of respondents reported being worried about recent changes in U.S. science funding, 94% expressed concern about future job opportunities, and 72% reported that their motivation to conduct research had been negatively affected. Respondents also reported impacts on the combined survey item assessing mental well-being and research/work productivity.

Career retention also emerged as an important concern. Nearly half of respondents reported plans to pursue job opportunities outside the United States because of funding instability, while 44% reported considering leaving polar and cryosphere research entirely. At the same time, 76% said they would be more likely to remain in U.S. polar and cryosphere research if recent science-policy and funding reductions were reversed.

The study also examined how responses varied across different parts of the early-career community. Differences were observed across federal funding status, gender, age, career stage, disability status, race, and fieldwork participation. Notably, considering leaving research varied across five of the seven characteristics examined.

Beyond immediate funding concerns, the findings point to broader questions about workforce stability, professional support, mentorship, international opportunities, and the long-term sustainability of the U.S. polar and cryosphere research community.

Read the preprint: https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/14949/