Science policy this week: March 24, 2025

What’s Ahead

Pages from a questionnaire the Office of Management and Budget sent to international research partners.

Illustration by FYI

Scientists abroad quizzed on alignment with Trump priorities

The Trump administration has stoked alarm among foreign scientists who receive funding from the U.S. after it told some researchers at universities abroad to urgently fill out a survey this month that probes whether their work aligns with the administration’s priorities. The survey from the White House Office of Management and Budget asks researchers to describe institutional policies on issues such as religious freedom, free speech, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. It also asks whether their research supports U.S. national security objectives and whether their organization has received any funding from China, Russia, Iran, or Cuba.

The survey has been sent to researchers in Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom, and Canada, according to Nature. It includes more than 30 questions and asks respondents to score their responses up to a maximum of 180 points. OMB estimated the survey would take no more than 30 minutes to complete — a claim that some research management offices have said is highly unrealistic.

A group representing Australia’s leading research universities, known as the Group of Eight, has stated it is “extremely concerned” about the implications of the survey for Australia-U.S. research collaboration. “For every one of our members, the U.S. is the largest research partner by far,” Go8 Chief Executive Vicki Thompson told The Guardian. She said Go8 has written to House Science Committee Chair Brian Babin for guidance and to request more time to respond to the survey. Some Australian universities have already lost U.S. funding for their research.

Conflicting accounts given of French scientist denied US entry

The Department of Homeland Security said last week that a French space scientist was denied entry to the U.S. this month because he possessed confidential information from Los Alamos National Lab, contesting the French government’s statement that the scientist was targeted because of his criticism of the Trump administration. Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister for higher education and research, said earlier last week that the scientist was stopped by border officials because of messages on his personal phone to colleagues and friends expressing his opinion on the Trump administration’s science policies. The scientist is an employee of France’s National Center for Scientific Research and was headed to a conference near Houston, possibly the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. According to the New York Times, a DHS spokesperson said the scientist had admitted to taking confidential information from Los Alamos without permission, in violation of a nondisclosure agreement. “Any claim that his removal was based on political beliefs is blatantly false,” the spokesperson said.

Europe mulls efforts to woo US scientists

Countries in Europe are ramping up efforts to attract U.S. scientists, aiming to capitalize on the Trump administration’s wide-ranging layoffs and research funding cuts. Twelve European countries sent a letter to the European Commission last week urging the EU to advertise its attractiveness to “brilliant talents from abroad who might suffer from research interference and ill-motivated and brutal funding cuts,” according to Politico. Aside from this potential EU-wide effort, France’s research minister sent a letter to French universities earlier this month urging them to develop plans to attract U.S. researchers. The Netherlands also announced the creation of a fund last week aimed at attracting international STEM talent that their education minister indicated was timed to take advantage of layoffs in the U.S.

Democrats push to block RIFs at science agencies

House Science Committee Democrats introduced a series of bills last week that aim to prevent looming reductions in force (RIFs) at federal science agencies. Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) sponsored the bills, which cover the Department of Energy, NASA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “DOGE will stop at nothing to slash and burn core functions of our federal science agencies at the altar of their twisted idea of ‘efficiency.’ This must stop,” reads a statement from Democrats on the committee.

The White House instructed federal agencies to develop “agency reorganization plans” by March 13 that include actions to significantly reduce the number of full-time staff they employ. Agencies have not publicly released their RIF plans, but some leaked information suggests major cuts to research are on the table. For instance, documents viewed by Science Committee Democrats suggest the Environmental Protection Agency may eliminate its Office of Research and Development, according to the New York Times.

Also on our radar

House CCP Committee Chair John Moolenaar (R-MI) sent letters to the presidents of six universities seeking extensive information about the students they enroll from China, such as their tuition funding sources and the types of research they are conducting. Moolenaar also asked whether the universities conduct background screening on students from China and whether their faculty have partnerships with entities in China.
The Senate will likely vote this week to confirm Michael Kratsios as director of OSTP and Jay Bhattacharya as director of NIH.
The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing Thursday on the nomination of former Uber executive Emil Michael to be under secretary of defense for research and engineering.
Representatives of three ocean technology companies and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography will testify at a House Science Committee hearing Wednesday on the “blue economy.”
The Trump administration rescinded NIH’s scientific integrity policy last week on the grounds that it includes DEI requirements, according to Fox News. The policy had only been in effect since the beginning of 2025 following a multi-year drafting process.