Trump's proposed research rule faces widespread pushback

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

07/13/26 7:20 PM ET


Patient groups, scientists, bipartisan lawmakers, pharmaceutical companies and more are all sounding alarms over a Trump administration proposal they say would politicize scientific grant funding and undermine America’s biomedical research leadership at a critical time.

The proposed rule from the White House Office of Management and Budget has received almost 342,000 comments, which were due Monday. The agency says it intends to finalize the rule in time for it to take effect Oct. 1. According to one analysis, an overwhelming majority of the comments oppose the changes. The proposed rule would codify many policies the administration attempted through executive order and at the individual agency level.

All discretionary awards from the federal government would have to be reviewed by senior administration officials, who could deny them because they didn’t fit the president’s agenda. Existing awards could be cancelled at any time for no apparent reason, with little recourse.

The rule would ban research on diversity, equity and inclusion in addition to gender as grant conditions and would place a broad prohibition on international scientific collaborations. It would also restrict international collaboration at a time when China’s rapid rise is threatening America’s status as the world leader in biomedical research.

Read more: https://thehill.com/newsletters/healthcare/5966698-trump-research-rule-pushback/