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Federal grant management now under political control, causing concern among researchers due to Trump's executive order

President Trump signs executive order, transferring control of federal grant funding to political appointees.

Federal grant administration handed to political leaders, leaving researchers concerned.
Federal grant administration handed to political leaders, leaving researchers concerned.

Federal grant management now under political control, causing concern among researchers due to Trump's executive order

The Trump administration has signed an executive order aimed at giving political appointees control over billions of dollars in federal research grants. This move, according to critics, threatens to politicize federal research funding, disrupt the scientific grant process, and trigger legal battles over administrative authority, academic freedom, and grant contract law.

The order requires agencies to appoint officials for reviewing federal funding opportunities and grants to ensure they align with agency priorities and the national interest. This shift of grant review authority from career scientists and civil servants to political appointees designated by agency heads may potentially delay grant funding and restrict research topics based on political considerations.

One of the key impacts of this order is the pausing of new funding opportunities until agencies implement the new politically influenced review systems. This immediate disruption to scientific research pipelines could slow "progress for cures and treatments that patients and families across the country urgently need," as expressed by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The order also includes requirements for termination-for-convenience clauses, allowing grants to be ended if they no longer serve administration priorities. This added uncertainty to ongoing projects has raised concerns about the potential reduction of scientific freedom and innovation as peer review becomes advisory and political review may bias funding toward ideologically aligned projects rather than merit-based research.

Legal challenges are expected due to the substantial deviation from historically impartial, expert-driven grant review and award processes. Allegations of executive overreach in science funding decisions, violations of principles of academic freedom and equal treatment under federal grantmaking laws, and conflicts between the order’s new funding termination provisions and government interpretations of existing grant regulations may lead to litigation.

Critics argue that the order may face judicial scrutiny for lacking sufficient statutory basis and undermining established administrative procedures in grant distribution. The order's implications extend to federal agencies like FEMA, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Justice, and the Centers for Disease Control.

Thousands of research grants at agencies like the NSF and NIH have already been terminated, including on topics like transgender health, vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Joseph Bak-Coleman, a scientist studying group decision-making at the University of Washington, stated that this order represents political control over a once politically neutral mechanism for funding science in the U.S.

The Trump administration claims these changes are part of an effort to "strengthen oversight" and "streamline agency grantmaking." However, the order's potential impact on a broad spectrum of federal grants, ranging from emergency relief to public health initiatives, has sparked concerns among experts and scientists. The Association of American Medical Colleges has expressed concern over the potential delay in grant review and approval, which may impact the progress of medical research and treatments.

In summary, the executive order threatens to politicize federal research funding, disrupt the scientific grant process, and trigger legal battles over administrative authority, academic freedom, and grant contract law. The implications of this order extend to various federal agencies and research fields, with potential delays and disruptions to ongoing projects and the progress of medical research and treatments.

  1. The executive order signed by the Trump administration may face judicial scrutiny for undermining established administrative procedures in grant distribution, especially at universities like the University of Washington.
  2. Critics claim that the Trump administration's changes in federal research funding policies could potentially lead to a reduction in scientific freedom and innovation, as electoral considerations may bias grant funding toward politically aligned projects.
  3. The Association of American Medical Colleges has raised concerns about the potential delay in grant review and approval, which may slow the progress of medical research and treatments, such as "cures and treatments that patients and families across the country urgently need."
  4. The order's effects reach diverse federal agencies, including FEMA, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Justice, the Centers for Disease Control, and even general-news outlets, as several research grants have already been terminated on controversial topics like transgender health and vaccine hesitancy.

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