White House proposes vast overhaul of US science funding: what you need to know

President Trump’s administration has proposed wide-ranging changes to the system for awarding federal research grants. Credit: Anna Rose Layden/Getty Scientists are raising the alarm about a far-reaching White House proposal that could fundamentally recast federally funded science. The proposed rules would put political appointees in control of all federal grants; de-emphasize peer review; place more restrictions on meeting attendance for grant holders; limit collaborations between federally funded US scientists and overseas colleagues ; and restrict federal financial support for the publication of US scientists’ results in scientific journals. The 412-page proposal, issued by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on 29 May, applies to all federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — the world’s largest funder of biomedical research — and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The OMB says that it aims to “improve transparency, accountability, and oversight” of federal funds. In a statement, an OMB spokesperson said that “federal grants were already politicized to promote a far-left agenda”. The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to implement the proposal on 1 October. How Trump is following Project 2025’s radical roadmap to defund science Just four days after it was posted, the proposal had drawn more than 3,500 comments from the public. …