Science Funding Faces New Political Overhaul

The U. S. government is planning a big change to how science grants are awarded. A new set of rules will let political leaders decide which projects get money, instead of scientists who review proposals. The change comes after the previous order was struck down in courts for lacking clear justification. Under the old system, experts checked the quality of each grant. If a proposal was good, the agency could fund it even if reviewers gave it a low score. Now the rules say that political appointees can override those experts at any time. The new plan also says a grant can be cancelled whenever the agency thinks it is not “in the national interest. ” That word means different things to different people, so many projects could be stopped for unclear reasons. The rules target certain topics too.

They ban funding for research that talks about race, gender, or social equality. Studies on how laws affect different races or how to help women and minorities are also cut out. International work is limited as well. Funding for projects that involve China or other foreign partners may be refused unless the agency says it is absolutely needed. Even projects with allies can face extra hurdles. Scientists also lose money for publishing and traveling. Paying for journal fees or conference trips from a grant is now allowed only with special approval. The idea of “reducing burden” is called out, but the new rules add a lot more paperwork. They want to keep science free of what they call “woke” ideas, but in practice it could stop many important studies. The public can give feedback on the draft rule before it is finalized.

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