The Trump administration plans to restructure approximately $200 billion in federal research and development funding, shifting the focus from universities to individual scientists and AI-driven research.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) outlined in a new report and guidelines that supporting individual researchers and AI-based scientific research will be key priorities for the federal research budget. These new guidelines are expected to influence the allocation of research and development funds during President Trump's remaining time in office.
Instead of the traditional method of providing research funding to universities, the Trump administration intends to expand fellowships and grant programs that support individual researchers directly. The White House cited the National Science Foundation's (NSF) graduate student support program and the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) creative scientist support program as exemplary models.
Additionally, the administration is looking to increase the authority of politically appointed officials in deciding research funding and is pursuing regulations from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to align research projects with the administration's policy priorities. As a result, large universities that heavily rely on federal research funding may face challenges.
Michael Kratsios, OSTP Director, stated, "We have been stuck in the mindset of funding the same research at the same institutions in the same way for the past 20 to 30 years."
Utilizing AI as a core tool for scientific discovery is also a major aspect of this policy. Kratsios and OMB Director Russell Vought urged departments to support research that uses AI not just as a complement to existing research capabilities but as a means for new scientific discoveries.
The Trump administration is also advancing the 'Genesis Mission,' which aims to connect the Department of Energy's research capabilities and supercomputers with private companies and researchers. Furthermore, it has set goals to establish high-performance quantum computers by 2028 and to begin construction on ten large reactors by 2030.
Since taking office last year, the Trump administration has identified reducing government spending as a key policy objective. In this context, it has significantly cut funding to major universities like Harvard and MIT, which have faced conflicts with the administration over diversity issues.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported concerns that overemphasizing potentially flawed AI could limit the research areas available to scientists.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.