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OneAID is partnering with Jaime Oberlander, a former USAID Foreign Service Officer and now graduate student at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, on a new study aimed at documenting the human impact of the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Oberlander designed the study in collaboration with members of the aid community who directly experienced the changes of the past year. In addition to supporting survey development, OneAID is leading promotion and dissemination, tapping into its worldwide membership and following of over 17,000 professionals.

Over the past year, numerous informal surveys and community check-ins have attempted to capture pieces of this moment. However, no single effort has comprehensively examined the effects on aid workers across the full foreign assistance ecosystem. Much of the existing data focuses on specific employment categories or networks, leaving significant gaps in understanding how the disruption has affected the broader community, including Foreign Service Officers, Civil Service staff, contractors, implementing partners, Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs), and locally employed staff. Anyone that was impacted by USAID’s dismantling is eligible and encouraged to participate.

The survey examines how the dismantling of USAID has affected employees and their families across several dimensions, including employment outcomes, financial strain, health and mental health measures, and overall quality of life. It also explores how individuals and families have coped and adapted since January 2025.

Why This Study Matters

OneAID has heard consistently from across the foreign assistance community that the scale of the disruption has been difficult to quantify. While headlines have focused on institutional changes, far less attention has been paid to the lived experiences of the people behind the work, and the ripple effects on families, careers, and communities worldwide.

By gathering cross-cutting data, the study aims to:

• Document experiences for the historical record 
• Better understand the prevalence of mental health and well-being impacts of abrupt job loss across the aid sector
• Identify risks and protective factors that influence recovery and rebuilding
• Highlight coping strategies and resilience that may inform future support and therapeutic approaches

Findings will be shared back with the OneAID and USAID alumni communities, with preliminary results expected later this year.

Ensuring Credibility and Data Protection

The study is designed as a formal academic research project rather than an informal poll. Data collection is conducted through Qualtrics, a HIPAA-compliant platform, with secure storage on University of Michigan servers. Personal information will be de-identified, and all findings will be reported anonymously.

The research is conducted in partnership with OneAID, which is supporting outreach and distribution, and has the support of Our USAID Community, a volunteer-led network formed by members of the USAID workforce to share information and advocate for colleagues affected by recent changes.

An Invitation to Participate

This study was created by and for members of the USAID and implementing partner community. Its goal is not only to measure impact, but to ensure that experiences are recognized collectively and understood more fully.

Eligible participants are encouraged to take part and help contribute to a more complete picture of how this moment has shaped the aid workforce and the families connected to it.

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