Trump's Assaults on Scientific Research Just Got Worse

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/opinion/science-federal-government-funding.html?unlocked_article_code=1.pFA.3xlo.OFTBICljEgpo&smid=url-share

A new kind of institutional vandalism appeared last month in the form of a 412-page Trump administration regulatory proposal and a comment period. If the proposal passes, it will damage one of the most rigorous, productive and valuable scientific enterprises in the world.

The Office of Management and Budget has called for a rule change that would impose restrictions on the kinds of research that can be funded and give political appointees the final authority to deny federal funding for research deemed inconsistent with presidential priorities. Such a revision is necessary, the agency said, because there is a “lack of transparency, accountability and proper oversight” in the way federal funds are dispersed. That led to the waste and misuse of federal funds to “promote a ‘woke’ policy agenda,” according to the agency, particularly the diversity, equity and inclusion programs of the Biden years.

O.M.B.’s solution is to weaken the very process that already ensures a strong degree of accountability: The proposal demotes peer review where expert scientists, working inside and outside the agencies, evaluate research based on the scientific merits and strengths of the underlying evidence. Instead of being “routinely deferred to,” peer review would now be only “advisory.” That upends the longstanding compact between the federal government and the scientific community, where Congress appropriates funds, agencies administer them and scientists (through peer review) determine which proposals represent the best science.

Right now, the political appointees who lead agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services have broad authority to administer their agencies’ programs and set new priorities. But they didn’t typically do political evaluations of scientific research proposals. The new rules expand their power over which grants get approved based on whether the projects align with political ideology. The incentive to prioritize loyalty to a political leader over quality and America’s needs would be strong.