AIBS Calls for Scientific Integrity in Federal Grantmaking
AIBS released the following statement in response to the August 7, 2025 Executive Order "Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking":
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) expresses deep concern regarding the recent Executive Order "Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking," which requires political appointees to review and approve new scientific funding opportunities. This policy threatens the integrity and independence of the scientific process and jeopardizes the nation's ability to address critical challenges.
The cornerstone of U.S. scientific leadership is a rigorous, merit-based peer-review system. This process, which relies on objective evaluation by scientific experts, ensures that funding is awarded to the most promising and impactful research projects. By abruptly inserting political appointees into this process, the Executive Order introduces the risk of bias, potentially undermining decades of scientific progress and innovation.
Scientific research is essential for tackling complex issues such as climate change, emerging infectious diseases, food security, and medical and pharmaceutical innovation. These challenges do not conform to political ideologies. By prioritizing political approval over scientific merit, the new policy could delay or prevent vital research from being funded, ultimately compromising our national health, security, and economic competitiveness.
"The strength of our scientific enterprise is built on trust and a commitment to evidence-based decision-making," said AIBS CEO Scott Glisson. "Injecting political influence into the grant review process erodes that trust and will ultimately harm our nation's ability to innovate and solve pressing problems."
AIBS urges the Administration to reconsider this approach and uphold the principles of scientific independence and evidence-based decision-making. We must empower scientists to lead the way in finding solutions, not hinder their efforts with unnecessary political oversight.
NIH Director Outlines Priorities, Orders New Review of Grants
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya has unveiled a "unified strategy" outlining a dozen research priorities and directed a sweeping review of the agency's grant portfolio.
The priorities include advancing autism research, improving research reproducibility, addressing health disparities through "solution-oriented approaches," expanding the use of artificial intelligence, developing nutrition studies to combat childhood obesity, building a "real-world data platform," strengthening HIV implementation science, and exploring alternative testing models.
The plan also emphasizes "merit-based" training programs in line with the Administration's opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. It calls for tighter oversight of foreign collaborations, limits health disparities research to "specific and measurable concepts" like redlining--while barring "broad or subjective claims" tied to systemic racism, and narrows transgender health studies to research on potential "harms" of gender-affirming care.
In a cover letter, Bhattacharya stressed that the list is not exhaustive but identifies areas "that require our particular attention and focus." The order directs staff to re-examine all funding announcements, applications, active grants, and in-house studies to ensure alignment with the new priorities.
Bhattacharya framed the plan as an effort to "rebuild public trust" and "align priorities across NIH's 27 institutes and centers." But observers note the review echoes earlier politically driven grant vetting under the Trump Administration, which has already slowed awards this year. Former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at NIH Jeremy Berg warned the review is a "substantial undertaking" without timelines or clear guidance.
Concerns have also been raised about the lack of transparency and community input in setting the priorities.
GAO Says NIH Illegally Withheld Research Funds, While SCOTUS Upholds Grant Cuts
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) violated the Impoundment Control Act (ICA) by canceling grants, pausing the publication of grant review notices, and slowing new awards in response to executive branch directives. GAO concluded that these actions illegally withheld congressionally appropriated funds without following the formal process required under the ICA.
Although the Department of Health and Human Services has since resumed publishing meeting notices, it has not provided sufficient justification for the pause or clarity on current NIH obligations. Between February and June 2025, NIH awarded nearly $8 billion less than during the same period in 2024, representing 62% of prior-year obligations.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said this was the fifth time GAO has found President Trump in violation of federal budget law. She warned the funding freeze threatens vital biomedical research on diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's. "President Trump is illegally blocking funding for medical research and shredding the hopes of patients across the country," Murray said, urging the Administration to release the remaining funds immediately.
Although the Office of Management and Budget briefly reversed course after public criticism, billions remain locked up with less than two months left in the fiscal year. GAO stressed that presidents have "no unilateral authority to withhold" appropriated funds, underscoring its role in protecting Congress's constitutional power of the purse.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, allowed the Trump Administration to move forward with $783 million in NIH research grant cuts while a lower-court challenge continues. The cuts follow a Trump Executive Order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including studies on racial minorities and LGBTQ communities. The justices suggested the challenge be brought in a different court but declined the Administration's request to pause a broader ruling against NIH's guidance on rejecting DEI-related grants.
A district court had previously ruled the cancellations unlawful and ordered the grants reinstated, but the Supreme Court said the lower court lacked jurisdiction. The majority directed such disputes to the Court of Federal Claims, which cannot restore grants, only award damages--making it unlikely researchers will see their projects revived. Chief Justice Roberts joined the court's liberals in dissent, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson calling the majority's reasoning "bizarre" and warning of devastating consequences for scientific discovery.
Legal challenges to the cancellations continue, but advocates say the decision signals a broader judicial green light for ending disfavored scientific research.
FWS Moves to End Automatic Protections for Threatened Species
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has halted use of a long-standing regulation known as the "blanket 4(d) rule," which for decades automatically extended endangered-level protections to threatened species unless specific exemptions were written. Going forward, each newly listed threatened species will instead receive a tailored 4(d) rule outlining what protections apply.
Supporters of the change, including some hunting and landowner groups, argue that tailored rules will better incentivize habitat restoration by easing restrictions when species recover. But conservation organizations warn the shift could leave threatened wildlife more vulnerable, while also straining FWS staff who will now have to craft detailed rules for each species.
The agency describes the move as a "pause" while it works to formally rescind the blanket rule by October 2026. "During this rulemaking, whenever FWS proposes or finalizes listing a species as threatened, it will concurrently develop a species-specific 4(d) rule," a spokesperson said. The move echoes a similar rollback under the Trump Administration in 2019, which was later reversed by President Biden.
EPA Scraps Biden-Era Scientific Integrity Policy
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revoked a scientific integrity policy issued in the final days of the Biden Administration and reinstated a version from 2012. The move follows President Trump's May 2025 Executive Order, "Restoring Gold Standard Science," which directed agencies to revert to policies in place as of January 19, 2021.
The Biden-era policy, released just days before Trump's second inauguration, aimed to limit political interference in EPA science. Critics say the rollback risks weakening safeguards against political pressure and could undo progress in protecting the agency's scientific work.
The EPA's scientific integrity webpage has since removed the 2025 policy, listing only the 2012 version as active.
Judge Rules USDA Illegally Canceled Grants
A federal judge ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unlawfully terminated several nonprofit grants, including one tied to a key Biden-era climate initiative.
Judge Beryl Howell ordered the USDA to resume payments on five canceled grants to agricultural and forestry nonprofits and halted the cancellation of a sixth. The lawsuit highlighted how the USDA ended grants without clear justification. Judge Howell noted that the agency ended certain awards specifically because they supported climate change mitigation--a goal that Congress had expressly authorized.
The decision could encourage other organizations and states to challenge similar funding cuts made under the Trump Administration, which had ended climate-focused programs like the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. While the court hasn't yet ruled on the legality of terminating broader USDA programs that the grants fell under, the ruling reinforces congressional authority over climate-related agricultural funding and calls into question the Administration's redirection of priorities.
White House Orders Review of Smithsonian Exhibitions
The Trump Administration has launched a sweeping review of the Smithsonian Institution's exhibitions, giving eight of its museums 120 days to replace any "divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate and constructive descriptions."
In an August 12 letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, White House officials outlined the scope and timeline of the effort, citing President Trump's Executive Order, Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History. The letter, co-signed by Office and Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, frames the review as a "constructive and collaborative effort" intended to ensure museum content reflects "American exceptionalism" and aligns with the president's vision for the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary.
The initial phase will focus on the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Additional museums would be reviewed in a second phase.
According to the letter, museums must submit exhibition catalogs, America 250 programming plans, current and future exhibition proposals, and internal guidelines and communications within 30 days. The review team will also begin on-site "observational visits" to document themes, visitor experience, and visual messaging. By the 75-day mark, institutions are expected to provide additional materials, including permanent collection inventories, educational resources, visitor surveys, and grant documentation, while also participating in voluntary staff interviews. Within 120 days, the Administration expects museums to begin implementing revisions to public-facing content so that it meets standards for tone, framing, and "alignment with American ideals."
The White House maintains that the effort will not interfere with the day-to-day operations of curators or staff, describing it instead as a way to develop consistent narrative standards that highlight "accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of America's heritage."
The Smithsonian, which receives more than 60 percent of its $1 billion annual budget from federal sources, issued a statement reaffirming its "deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research and the accurate, factual presentation of history." It said it was reviewing the letter "with this commitment in mind."
HHS Staff Respond to August 8 Attack
Staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., calling for the Secretary to stop sharing health misinformation, publicly uphold the CDC's scientific integrity, and support workforce safety through emergency procedures and the removal of online materials such as "DEI watchlists."
The letter was sent in response to the August 8 shooting at the CDC's campus in Atlanta, Georgia by a gunman motivated by vaccine distrust. Over 750 current and former employees from the CDC, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and HHS have signed the letter in support.
HHS issued a statement that the Secretary "is standing firmly with CDC employees" but also notes that "any attempt to conflate widely supported public health reforms with violence of a suicidal mass shooter is an attempt to politicize a tragedy." Recently confirmed CDC Director, Susan Monarez, shared her concerns with the dangers of misinformation after the shooting, saying "We need to rebuild the trust together."
AIBS Joins Letter to OSTP on Gold Standard Science
AIBS joined more than 90 scientific, academic, and professional organizations in sending a letter to White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Michael Kratsios responding to the recent Executive Order "Restoring the Gold Standard in Science."
"We share the overarching goal of ensuring that science serving the public good is of the highest quality, integrity, and utility," the letter reads. "However, we must underscore a vital point: The gold standard for science exists, and its success is demonstrated in every facet of American life--from the development of life-saving vaccines and the journey to the moon to the technological revolution that powers our modern economy. It's built on established norms and values that have, for centuries, guided the global scientific enterprise. We urge policymakers to recognize that any efforts to strengthen scientific integrity must build upon, rather than undermine, these foundational pillars."
Read the letter.
BCoN Report Available: Building an Integrated, Open, FAIR Data Network
The final report of the National Science Foundation-funded project, Building an Integrated, Open, Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (BIOFAIR) Data Network, has been released.
Led by the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN), in partnership with the American Institute of Biological Sciences, the BIOFAIR Data Network project convened stakeholders from across the spectrum of biodiversity, ecological, and environmental data providers, curators, and users with the goal of initiating a collaborative and accessible partnership towards an integrative and expanded data network.
The report summarizes findings from the six domain-focused virtual listening sessions held in the summer of 2024 as well as the final interdisciplinary workshop held in February 2025. It details the six broad community needs that emerged from the discussions and describes a collaborative, actionable, and community-informed roadmap for building a FAIR, open, and integrated biological and environmental data network. Read the report.
Register for the Writing for Impact and Influence Online Course
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is offering its popular professional development program to help scientists and students hone their written communication skills to increase the power of their message.
Writing for Impact and Influence provides practical instruction and hands-on exercises that will improve the participant's general writing proficiency. The program will provide participants with the skills and tools needed to compose scientific press releases, blog posts, memoranda, and more, with a focus on the reader experience.
Each product-oriented session will have an assignment (deadlines are flexible), with feedback from the instructor. The course is interactive, and participants are encouraged to ask questions and exchange ideas with the instructor and other participants. Each session is also recorded and shared with all participants to accommodate scheduling conflicts.
Who Should Take the Course?
- Individuals interested in furthering their professional development by augmenting their writing skills.
- Graduate students and early-career professionals interested in increasing their marketability to employers.
- Individuals interested in more effectively informing and influencing segments of the public, supervisors, policymakers, reporters, organizational leaders, and others.
The course consists of six weekly 90-minute online modules conducted live and subsequently archived online for participant review. The course will begin on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, with subsequent course sessions held weekly on Wednesdays, through October 15. Individuals who actively participate in and complete the full course will receive a certificate recognizing that they have completed a nine-hour professional development course on business writing for scientists.
Register now.
Short Takes
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The National Science Foundation (NSF) is partnering with Nvidia to develop open-source artificial intelligence (AI) models trained on scientific data, as part of the Trump Administration's AI Action Plan. The $152 million project, called the Open Multimodal AI Infrastructure to Accelerate Science (OMAI), is led by the Allen Institute for AI and aims to make advanced AI tools more accessible to researchers. NSF will contribute $75 million, with NVIDIA providing the remaining $77 million. The project also includes workforce development to expand AI expertise beyond major tech hubs.
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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is legally required to distribute all its congressionally approved funds by September 30, but billions remain unawarded as the deadline nears. According to an analysis from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), NIH grant funding tracked normally through December 2024 but has since fallen sharply, leaving nearly $5 billion less committed to U.S. institutions compared to the previous year.
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NSF is awarding $29.2 million through its EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program to 6 projects across 11 jurisdictions. These four-year grants aim to strengthen research capacity and advance projects in areas such as Earth systems, wildfire and water management, ecosystem and human health, electronics, biotechnology, and AI-driven health care.
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Lynne Parker, Principal Deputy Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), has departed the White House following the release of the Trump Administration's AI Action Plan. Parker, who also served as Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, cited completing her mission on AI, drone policy, and the "gold standard" science initiative. OSTP Senior Policy Advisor Dean Ball also recently left, returning to the private sector to focus on AI policy and governance.
From the Federal Register
The following items appeared in the Federal Register from August 11 to 22, 2025.
Commerce
Environmental Protection Agency
Executive Office of the President
Health and Human Services
Interior
