New executive order puts all grants under political control

On Thursday, the Trump administration implemented an executive order that centralizes political control over the allocation of grant funding, which encompasses all federally supported research initiatives. This order mandates that any announcement regarding funding opportunities must undergo review by the agency head or a designated political appointee, effectively placing significant power in the hands of individuals who may lack expertise in scientific fields. Under the new guidelines, each individual grant will also require approval from a political appointee, with the stipulation that funding must demonstrably align with the President’s policy priorities. Additionally, agencies are now instructed to formalize a process that allows for the cancellation of previously awarded grants if they are deemed to no longer support agency priorities. Agencies are prohibited from initiating new funding programs until the system to enforce these changes is established. This development signals a potential shift in the landscape of federal scientific research, as it introduces a layer of political oversight that may hinder the funding of vital projects. This executive order echoes previous criticisms from the administration regarding the management of federal science funding, claiming that too much financial support is allocated to administrative costs at universities, and that efforts to diversify the scientific community and instances of scientific fraud have undermined research integrity. However, the proposed 'solution' to these challenges involves increasing oversight by non-expert political appointees. Overall, the executive order imposes a new layer of political influence over both the announcement of funding opportunities and the approval process for individual grants. Each agency head, a presidential appointee, is now required to make funding decisions personally or delegate these responsibilities to another senior political figure. Such changes could significantly alter the trajectory of scientific research in the U.S., as they may lead to funding decisions being swayed by political motives rather than scientific merit.