STAT+: Trump administration pursues more durable changes to science policy after setbacks in court

STAT PlusPolitics Trump administration pursues more durable changes to science policy after setbacks in court OMB proposal seeks to set in stone its control over research By Anil OzaJuly 8, 2026 Anil Oza[email protected]Anil Oza is a general assignment reporter at STAT focused on the NIH and health equity. You can reach him on Signal at aniloza.16. Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article Thousands of federal civil servants who academic researchers see as partners in conducting their work were fired. An unprecedented number of scientific projects funded by previous administrations were terminated. Universities were pressured to abandon diversity programs and work to curb health disparities. On a Friday evening, the government tried to push through a dramatic change to how it reimburses universities for research overhead. All of these actions in the first year of the Trump administration were rapidly challenged in federal court, in many cases resulting in the administration having to walk back policies because they ran afoul of the Administrative Procedures Act, which governs how new policies and regulations are rolled out.Advertisement Andrew Twinamatsiko, who is director of the Center for Health Policy and the Law at Georgetown University and runs a health care litigation tracker, describes what happened last year as “tempests that we could weather” until there’s a new administration, when “there can be ways of reverting back to the baseline that we used to have.” STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus daily intelligence on Capitol Hill and the life sciences industry — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in Monthly $39 Totals $468 per year $39/month Get Started Totals $468 per year Starter $30 for 3 months, then $399/year $30 for 3 months Get Started Then $399/year Annual $399 Save 15% $399/year Get Started Save 15% 11+ Users Custom Savings start at 25%! Request A Quote Request A Quote Savings start at 25%! 2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In Donald Trump, NIH, research, STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints Anil Oza General Assignment Reporter Anil Oza is a general assignment reporter at STAT focused on the NIH and health equity. You can reach him on Signal at aniloza.16. Recommended D.C. Diagnosis July 7, 2026 STAT Plus: The crumbling employer-based health insurance system Health Care Inc. Newsletter July 7, 2026 STAT Plus: America’s employer health insurance is decaying Advertisement Out of Pocket, Out of Reach July 7, 2026 STAT Plus: America’s small businesses are giving up on health insurance Out of Pocket, Out of Reach July 7, 2026 STAT Plus: This whistleblower took on a health insurance giant and a political machine. She’s not stopping there Out of Pocket, Out of Reach July 7, 2026 5 takeaways from STAT’s series on the soaring cost of health insurance Subscriber Picks