Outlook: Newsletter of the Society of Behavorial Medicine

Summer 2025

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Weathering the Storm: Student/Trainee Perspectives on Funding Cuts and the Future of Behavioral Medicine

Lakeshia Cousin, PhD, APRN1; Lilian Shin-Cho, PhD2 ; Carlos A. Silvera, BA3; Carah D. Holesovsky, MS4; Lihong Ou, PhD, RN5 - Health Equity and Student SIGs

A Storm of Uncertainty in Behavioral Medicine

The field of behavioral medicine is currently navigating turbulent waters. Recent federal budget cuts, including a proposed 40% reduction in NIH funding under the current presidential administration (AcademyHealth, 2025; AAMC, 2025), have sent shock-waves through the research landscape. These changes reflect a trend of rising uncertainty around research priorities and funding stability, creating a storm that affects not only experienced researchers but also students, trainees, and early-career professionals.

To understand the impact of funding cuts, the Health Equity and Student Special Interest Groups (SIGs) of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) conducted an anonymous survey in May 2025 with student and trainee members.

Student and Trainee Voices: Real-World Impacts

The student/trainee survey revealed the harsh effects of funding instability.

  • Career Disruption: One postdoctoral fellow shared, “I had an NIH-funded research postdoc lined up, but I lost it when the entire training grant was defunded.” Others reported hiring freezes, rescinded offers, or needing to pivot to clinical or teaching roles to maintain employment.
  • Pressure on Health Equity Work: A doctoral student said, “We decided not to submit a diversity supplement because we feared it might draw extra scrutiny and threaten the parent grant.” A lab manager added, “We’ve been scrubbing DEI language from our websites to avoid scrutiny.”
  • Lost Resources: Cuts have limited the ability to attend conferences, publishing opportunities, and even the ability to compensate participants or access needed tools.
  • Emotional Toll: Many respondents described feeling stalled and discouraged. “I feel stunted; my creativity, grant opportunities, and motivation are all stunted,” one trainee wrote.

Yet, a sense of resilience and purpose runs deep. One respondent summed it up: “Even if the administration does not see the value of behavioral medicine, I do. And I know the health of populations will suffer without it.”

What Trainees Need Now

Survey respondents offered clear suggestions:

  • Expand access to small-scale funding through mini-grants, dissertation awards, and small project funding.
  • Increase affordability of professional development through reduced-cost conferences, workshops, and mentoring.
  • Enhance skill-building in areas such as grant writing, job preparation, alternative career paths, and strategies for pursuing alternative funding.
  • Advocate for the importance of supporting early-career researchers, no matter the political climate.

How the Health Equity SIG Is Taking Action

The Health Equity SIG is working to advance these goals. Recently, we hosted a successful virtual job fair that connected trainees with employers focused on health equity, with plans to host this event again next year. On July 29th, we will host a virtual summer networking session to foster collaboration among members. By amplifying success stories expert advice, and lessons learned, we aim to help our members navigate this uncertain time with greater confidence and resilience.

We invite all SBM members, trainees, mentors, and senior researchers to join us on July 29th, 11 am PST/2 pm EST. Together, we can weather the storm and work together to ensure a brighter, equity-focused future for behavioral medicine.

Affiliations:

  1. Tampa General Hospital/University of South Florida College of Nursing
  2. Fox Chase Cancer Center
  3. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center/Univeristy of Miami Health System
  4. Kansas State University
  5. Arizona State University

References:

  1. AcademyHealth. (2025). Federal funding disruptions threaten U.S. research leadership. AcademyHealth. https://academyhealth.org/blog/2025-03/academyhealths-situation-report-federal-funding-disruptions-threaten-us-research-leadership
  2. Association of American Medical Colleges. (2025). What’s at stake when clinical trials research gets cut. AAMC. https://www.aamc.org/news/whats-stake-when-clinical-trials-research-gets-cut
  3. Health Equity and Student Special Interest Groups. (2025). Anonymous survey on funding cuts and trainee perspectives [Unpublished data]. Society of Behavioral Medicine.