Political appointees to oversee scientific grant reviews

A Trump administration executive order will require political appointees to oversee oversight of federal grants to ensure they are “consistent with agency priorities and the national interest.” Among other provisions, the order restricts agencies from funding programs that “fund, promote encourage or facilitate A) racial preferences or other forms of racial discrimination...(B) denial by the grant recipient of the sex binary in humans...(C) illegal immigration; or (D) any other initiatives that compromise public safety or promote anti-American values.” The order encourages agencies to award grants to institutions with lower indirect cost rates and to seek a broad range of recipients instead of repeat awardees. Some experts criticized the order for politicizing science. (MedPage Today article, 8/8/25)