Pentagon abruptly ends all funding for social science research
More than 90 studies on growing threats like climate change, violent extremism, and disinformation are halted.
In a press release issued late on Friday, the Pentagon wrote that future research receiving federal funding “must address pressing needs to develop and field advanced military capabilities.”
The Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering said it will move to scrap its social science research portfolio as part of a broader effort to “ensure fiscal responsibility and prioritize mission-critical activities.”
“[The Department of Defence] does not do climate change crap,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X on Sunday. “We do training and war fighting.”
The Pentagon says the initiative involves focusing resources on technologies essential for maintaining a strong national defense, aligning with the Administration's commitment to efficient government and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. The department wrote that it could see cost savings of more than $30 million in the first year if it discontinuities 91 studies.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Forces wrote in its Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act that lawmakers allocated $841.4 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD), $32.4 billion for national security programs within the Department of Energy (DOE), and $438.0 million in defense-related activities.