How will Trump control federal science grants?

What the White House is proposing

The White House Office of Management and Budget is moving to take more control of billions of dollars in federal grants used for research and other science-related work.

Why critics are alarmed

Opponents say the change would jeopardize how federal grant funding decisions are made and could increase political interference—potentially affecting which projects are supported and which researchers can compete for awards.

What to watch next

The key practical issue is how the rules governing the federal grant-making process will be changed and what new controls are added. Because the proposal centers on grant oversight, it matters not only for institutions that apply for grants, but also for the researchers and labs that rely on that money to plan studies, hire staff, and run trials.

Bottom line

If implemented as critics fear, the shift would mark a substantial change in governance for a large federal funding stream. That could reshape research priorities and disrupt planning timelines across the science sector, particularly for programs that depend on stable, transparent grant processes.