WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Office of Management and Budget proposed changes on July 8, 2026, aimed at establishing permanent control over federal research policy. This proposal follows actions taken by a previous administration concerning federal oversight of research and academic institutions.

During the first year of the Trump administration, thousands of federal civil servants were removed from their positions. Additionally, scientific projects that had been funded by earlier administrations were discontinued. Universities also faced pressure to discontinue diversity initiatives within the same period.

The federal government also adjusted its method for reimbursing universities for research overhead. This change was attempted on a Friday evening during the Trump administration's initial year. Actions taken by that administration during its first year, including some policy reversals, were subject to challenges in federal courts. Some of these policies were subsequently reversed after judicial reviews determined they violated the Administrative Procedures Act.

Andrew Twinamatsiko, who is the director of the Center for Health Policy and the Law at Georgetown University, operates a health care litigation tracker. Twinamatsiko commented, "Tempests that we could weather until there's a new administration, when there can be ways of reverting back to the baseline that we used to have."

Why It Matters

The proposed changes by the Office of Management and Budget represent an effort to formalize governmental influence over federal research policy. This initiative comes after a period during the first year of the Trump administration where there were shifts in federal scientific funding, personnel, and university relations. The legal challenges faced by the Trump administration regarding its policy changes highlight the existing frameworks, such as the Administrative Procedures Act, that govern federal agency actions.