EPA shutters research office

Summary

EPA eliminated its Office of Research and Development, threatening layoffs of up to about 1,155 scientists, and said total agency staffing would fall to 12,448, nearly 23% below January 2025.

What happened

On July 18, 2025, the EPA eliminated its Office of Research and Development, the agency's independent scientific research arm, and announced a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions, housed in the Office of the Administrator. As many as about 1,155 of ORD's roughly 1,540 scientists faced layoffs. EPA said total staffing would decrease to 12,448, a reduction of more than 3,700 employees, or nearly 23%, from January 2025 levels.

Impact on the United States

Strips the federal government of independent science underpinning air, water, and chemical-safety regulations, weakening evidence-based public-health protections and regulatory defensibility for decades.

Documented effects

1. Jul 2025Up to about 1,155 of roughly 1,540 ORD scientists faced layoffs[1]
2. EPA said total staffing would fall to 12,448, a cut of more than 3,700 employees, or nearly 23%, from January 2025[2][3]
3. ORD replaced by a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions, housed in the Office of the Administrator[2][3]

Why this is rated severe

Eliminated EPA's main scientific research office, with up to about 1,155 of its roughly 1,540 scientists facing layoffs, reducing the in-house science behind federal air, water and chemical-safety rules.

Corrections & updates [3]

Every change to a fact on this page after publication is logged here, newest first.

1. Sep 29, 2026ClarifiedSource

   The detail that the replacement office sits under the administrator comes from the Columbia Sabin Center tracker (September 22, 2025 update); CNBC names the new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions.[2][3]

2. Sep 29, 2026CorrectedFigure

   Corrected: EPA said its total staffing would fall to 12,448, a reduction of more than 3,700 employees or nearly 23% from January 2025 - a planned figure, not a completed drop of 22%. ORD's replacement is the new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions, housed in the Office of the Administrator; the sources do not describe it as smaller.[2][3]

3. Sep 29, 2026ClarifiedSeverity rationale

   Replaced 'guts' with the documented cuts. Severity unchanged.

   Previously

   Guts the independent science underpinning federal air, water, and chemical-safety rules.

   Now

   Eliminated EPA's main scientific research office, with up to about 1,155 of its roughly 1,540 scientists facing layoffs, reducing the in-house science behind federal air, water and chemical-safety rules.

Sources [3]