Trump Spending Freezes Sow Confusion Among Researchers

A White House memo directing federal agencies to pause grant payments caused widespread confusion and concern among scientists and research institutions this week. The Office of Management and Budget abruptly rescinded that memo on Wednesday, less than two days after issuing it, but the White House press secretary later insisted that other freezes tied to executive orders issued by Trump remain in effect.

On his first day in office, Trump ordered agencies to terminate all grants related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives “to the maximum extent allowed by law” and to pause spending on energy and climate initiatives related to the “Green New Deal,” without defining the term. The subsequent OMB memo issued on Monday was widely interpreted to apply to most federal grant programs, regardless of whether they were singled out by earlier executive orders. OMB said the pause would begin at 5 pm Tuesday, with no end date specified.

OMB quickly faced legal challenges from states and non-profit organizations, and a federal judge temporarily halted the grants freeze until Feb. 3, when a court hearing is scheduled to take place. Congressional Democrats also decried Trump’s actions as illegal.

Impact on federal research still unclear

OMB appeared to walk back the scope of the funding freeze on Tuesday, stating in a follow-up memo that the pause is “expressly limited to programs, projects, and activities implicated by the President’s Executive Orders, such as ending diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the green new deal, and funding nongovernmental organizations that undermine the national interest.”

OMB also issued a 52-page spreadsheet that asked federal agencies to review thousands of grant programs to evaluate whether they are subject to Trump’s executive orders, including many scientific research programs. It is unclear whether federal agencies will be expected to comply with this request in light of OMB rescinding the first memo.

The spreadsheet came with instructions for federal agencies to answer 14 questions about each program by Feb. 7, including details such as whether the program is expected to disburse any funds between now and March 15 — the day after the current deadline for Congress to reach a deal on funding the federal government.

On Tuesday, the National Science Foundation announced it would be pausing “all review panels, new awards, and all payments of funds under open awards” as it works to provide the program review and analysis requested by OMB. NSF updated that message after the OMB memo was rescinded, removing the previous language and stating, “Our top priority is resuming our funding actions and services to the research community and our stakeholders.”

NSF also advised, however, that its grantees must comply with the Trump administration’s executive orders and cease prohibited activities. “In particular, this may include, but is not limited to conferences, trainings, workshops, considerations for staffing and participant selection, and any other grant activity that uses or promotes the use of DEIA principles and frameworks or violates federal anti-discrimination laws.”

Other science agencies have issued similar messages, including NASA and the Department of Energy Office of Science. A compilation of agency and institutional responses to the orders has been compiled by the Council on Governmental Relations, a federation of research institutions.

Widespread confusion and criticism

Prior to the announcement of the memo’s rescission, House Science Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) described the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze federal funding as an “unlawful impoundment” and an “attack on the American taxpayer.”

“Scientists researching everything from cures to childhood cancer to severe weather prediction are wondering if their research will remain funded,” said Lofgren, adding “This is a mess.”

Jennifer Jones, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said in an interview on Tuesday that OMB’s plans to pause the disbursement of funds for federal research had prompted a “whole new level of anxiety” among scientists, with some questioning whether their jobs and the future of their field of research are on the line. The Trump administration’s actions are “meant to really just intimidate everybody doing science and research,” Jones said.

University research management offices responded in varying ways to the OMB memos, with some initially advising academics to pause spending federal grant money, and others assuring them that the memos would not impact them. Much of that guidance has now been updated, but inconsistencies remain.

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the Association of American Universities sharply criticized the OMB memo. “We are extremely concerned about the impact of this action on our country’s ability to maintain its scientific and technological lead against competitors and potential adversaries,” wrote AAU President Barbara Snyder in a statement on Tuesday. APLU President Mark Becker described OMB’s memo as an “overly broad mandate that is unnecessary and damaging.”

“OMB’s action has unnecessarily injected an enormous amount of confusion and uncertainty across the nation,” Becker said.