On January 3, 2021, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reported that 33 scientists left the Institute of Education Sciences between 2016 and 2020. That reflects a 19.2 percent decline in EPA's total scientific workforce.
According to UCS, over half of the scientists who left the Institute of Education Scientists were education researchers. UCS attributed the losses to low morale and growing concern among federal scientists that the Trump administration was attempting to stifle research and discussion.