The National Science Foundation, a major government funder of basic science research, is being shaken up, with over 1,000 grants already terminated and the White House looking to halve its budget.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, says the National Science Foundation has given money to thousands of "woke DEI" studies. Researchers say that's misrepresenting science and disparaging important research.

The National Science Foundation's funding freeze, and wider confusion about the status and future of science funding, is already hampering research.

MIT bioengineer Linda Griffith spent years in debilitating pain before she was diagnosed with a condition often neglected in research. Her focus on the basic biology could lead to better treatments.