The current Biden-Harris administration and Project 2025, a potential blueprint for a second Trump term, offer starkly different visions for the future of American science.

Harris. While vice president, Harris joined Biden in proposing substantial investments and reforms aimed at addressing major issues like climate change, public health, and advancing equity across various domains. In a Fact Sheet, the administration emphasized plans to bolster funding for research and development, especially in areas related to climate change and clean energy. The Biden administration’s FY 2025 budget proposal includes $202 billion for federal research and development (R&D), which is a slight increase from previous year.

Project 2025. Conversely, Project 2025, from which Trump has distanced himself, proposes a radical restructuring of the scientific landscape. It would, for instance, downsize National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), describing it as “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry” and “harmful to future U.S. prosperity.” Project 2025 would also have implications for many government scientists. As Scientific American noted, a Trump administration would likely reclassify tens of thousands of civil service jobs, including scientific positions, as political appointments answerable to the president. Vox noted that about two-thirds of the authors of Project 2025 had served in the Trump administration.

Breaking down the proposals

The infographic below highlights some of the differences in Harris’s proposals and Project 2025’s approach to science policy. It covers their differences across a range of areas, with Harris emphasizing clean energy and STEM education. Conversely, Project 2025 focuses more on energy independence and nuclear weapons development.