NEW YORK (AP) — Late Thursday, President Trump’s new executive order aimed to shift control over billions in grants handed out by federal agencies to his political appointees. This move has scientists worried, as they believe it could severely damage the programs that have made the U.S. a beacon of research and development worldwide.
The directive mandates that all federal entities—like FEMA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—must appoint officials tasked with vetting grants and funding opportunities to ensure they align with both agency goals and national interests.
Additionally, this order allows government agencies to terminate any current or future grants at any time, even while they are still active.
No new funding opportunities can be rolled out until the new guidelines have been implemented, according to the order.
Supporters of the administration argue that these modifications aim to enhance oversight and simplify the grant-making processes within agencies. However, researchers are sounding alarms that these changes could cripple the nation’s scientific advancement by granting politicians—often lacking the necessary expertise—oversight of vital research funds.
Joseph Bak-Coleman, a researcher at the University of Washington who studies group decision-making, noted, “This is taking a politically neutral funding mechanism and allowing political figures to control it.”
The Association of American Medical Colleges also expressed concerns, stating that the order will delay the review and approval of grants, hindering progress on essential treatments and cures that patients desperately need.
To make matters worse, the Trump administration has previously scrapped thousands of research grants at agencies like NSF and NIH, affecting critical studies related to transgender health, vaccine skepticism, misinformation, and diversity initiatives.
The recent order could influence not just research but also urgent disaster relief funds from FEMA, safety programs via the Department of Justice, and public health measures led by the Centers for Disease Control. Legal challenges against this directive are anticipated.
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