Probably continue working in the same field for the rest of their lives, or move to other fields if the funds are not available.
It does not (or at least should not) matter for a scientist if his research is right or wrong, the work is to test it.
Specifically http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenure positions were made to solve any pressure issues.
Edit:The only problem would be if they start not to do their job properly and go into Denial.
