Trump administration seeks lasting overhaul of federal science policy after court setbacks

The White House has introduced a proposal to cement its authority over federal research contracts, allowing the executive branch to direct research, end grants, and control external scientific reviews.

The move follows a series of actions in the first year of the Trump administration that included firing many federal civil servants, terminating numerous research projects, and pressuring universities to drop diversity initiatives, many of which were quickly challenged in court under the Administrative Procedures Act.

Legal challenges forced the administration to retreat on several policies, but the new Office of Management and Budget proposal aims to make the changes more durable, according to experts who say future administrations could still revert them.