White House Report Urges Shifting Research Funds Away from Universities
The White House issued a report urging federal agencies to fund scientific research beyond university labs, favoring individual researchers and multiyear grants. Critics call the plan a rhetorical move that could undermine the existing research enterprise, while the administration frames it as necessary for complex, large-team science.
The White House released a vision for U.S. scientific research this week, directing federal agencies to fund more work outside of universities. A report titled “Science: A New Golden Age” and an accompanying memo on research priorities encourage funding for individual researchers who select their own institutions and promote the use of multiyear grants. The report, authored by the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, stresses the increasing complexity of scientific problems and the need for large, multi-sector teams.
The document does not mandate a specific shift of funds away from higher education. While it praises universities for curiosity-driven research and training, it argues that the traditional university-based, principal investigator–driven grant model creates systemic blind spots. The R01 grant, the National Institutes of Health’s flagship award, is called “the workhorse of American biomedical research” but is faulted for failing to support projects requiring tens of millions of dollars and large teams.
The editor in chief of Science described the report as “a rhetorical device” with debatable administrative power but said it offers “an excellent window into how the administration is thinking right now.” The comments suggested the White House is trying to turn public opinion against universities while promoting a return to large private research labs, such as Bell Labs, which declined because corporate basic research proved unprofitable.
The American Council on Education’s vice president for government relations noted that the proposals are not new but warned that implementing them wholesale could “kill the golden goose.” The statement pointed to the timing, as the administration has separately proposed changes to federal grant regulations that would elevate political appointees’ judgment over peer review.
A memo from the OSTP director and the director of the Office of Management and Budget outlines the research and development priorities agencies must consider in budget submissions to the White House.