WEEK OF JAN 27, 2025

What’s Ahead

White House AI and cryptocurrency czar David Sacks watches President Donald Trump sign an executive order on Jan. 23.

C-SPAN

Trump reestablishes PCAST, issues AI and crypto orders

President Donald Trump reestablished the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology last week via executive order. PCAST will be co-chaired by Michael Kratsios, assistant to the president for science and technology, and David Sacks, Trump’s AI and cryptocurrency czar. The group will have up to 22 other members, all drawn from outside the federal government. The early move to establish PCAST contrasts with Trump’s previous administration, when he took almost three years to form the council.

The executive order signals some areas the council will focus on, referring to AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology as transformative technologies. It also reflects Trump’s hostility toward diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. “Today, across science, medicine, and technology, ideological dogmas have surfaced that elevate group identity above individual achievement, enforce conformity at the expense of innovative ideas, and inject politics into the heart of the scientific method,” the order states. “These agendas have not only distorted truth but have eroded public trust, undermined the integrity of research, stifled innovation, and weakened America’s competitive edge.” A press release accompanying the order states Trump is “refocusing” S&T policy to emphasize “results-driven excellence and merit-based achievement.”

Trump signed the order at an event where he also issued an order directing Kratsios and Sacks, among others, to develop a strategy for “global AI dominance” and take actions to revoke former President Joe Biden’s order that instructed agencies to develop security and safety standards for AI applications and placed new reporting requirements on certain AI developers. Similarly, in an order on cryptocurrency, Trump revoked a Biden-era order on digital assets and directed a new working group chaired by Sacks to propose a new regulatory framework for them.

Agency leadership transitions continue

President Donald Trump formally submitted more personnel nominations to the Senate last week, including Michael Kratsios to be director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and James Danly to be deputy secretary of energy. Other Trump picks are moving ahead in the confirmation process: Chris Wright’s nomination for secretary of energy was approved in committee last week and will now go to the full Senate for confirmation, the hearing on the nomination of Howard Lutnick to be secretary of commerce is on Wednesday, and the hearings on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be secretary of health and human services are on Wednesday and Thursday.

The presidential transition brought with it numerous leadership changes across science agencies, including acting leaders for positions that require Senate confirmation. In some cases, the leaders have come from outside the government. For instance, attorney Craig Burkhardt was appointed acting director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Burkhardt worked as chief counsel for technology at the Commerce Department from 2003 to 2006, which involved advising NIST, but has not otherwise worked at the agency. Many other acting positions have been filled by longtime agency employees:

Harriet Kung remains acting director of the DOE Office of Science, a role she first assumed in March 2024;
Matthew Memoli, an infectious disease researcher who was critical of COVID-19 vaccine mandates in 2021, was appointed director of the National Institutes of Health;
Vice Admiral Nancy Hann was appointed director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
Sarah Ryker was appointed director of the U.S. Geological Survey, replacing David Applegate, who is now the agency’s chief scientist.

Foreign relations panel mulls research security policy

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing Thursday on recommendations for policymakers to respond to “the malign influence of the People’s Republic of China at home and abroad.” Jeffrey Stoff, founder of the Center for Research Security and Integrity, is among the witnesses scheduled to appear at the hearing, a signal that Committee Chair Jim Risch (R-ID) plans to focus on the subject of research security. Risch has advocated for restricting higher education institutions from accepting gifts or contracts from certain entities in China. This proposal is included in the STRATEGIC Act of 2024, a broad China policy bill that Risch sponsored. The legislation did not receive a vote in the last Congress but is likely to receive renewed attention this year.

Also on our radar

As part of a sweeping revocation of DEI initiatives across agencies, the Department of Energy Office of Science has rescinded requirements for grantees to submit Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) Plans, Community Benefit Plans, and plans to meet Justice40 targets.
Trump fired inspectors general at all cabinet-level agencies except the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Trump did not provide the legally required 30-day notice to Congress before carrying out the firings.
Elon Musk publicly criticized the viability of an AI infrastructure project promoted by President Donald Trump, leading to speculation over whether the two are headed for a falling-out.
The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on defense innovation and acquisition reform.