5/7/25: Updated NIH Processes for No-Cost Extensions (NIH NOT-OD-25-110) This notice alerts the extramural community that NIH has temporarily disabled the No-Cost Extension functionality in eRA Commons. The Director of NIH has directed NIH staff to review all existing grants and cooperative agreements to ensure that NIH awards do not fund off-mission activities or projects. Therefore, temporarily disabling the NCE functionality in eRA Commons will allow NIH staff to review and assess all NCE requests to confirm that the activities proposed during the extension align with the NIH mission and agency priorities. At this time, all requests for NCEs must be submitted as a prior approval request in eRA Commons, for NIH review and approval. Requests for activities that do not align with the NIH mission and agency priorities will not be approved. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-25-110.html
5/7/25: New NIH Foreign Subaward Structure Enhances Integrity, Accountability, Oversight, and National Security of NIH Funded Research (NIH Extramural Nexus) Effective with the next NIH award cycle, all NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards must be structured as subprojects directly linked to the prime award. Foreign subawards are prohibited from being nested under the parent grant. Guide Notice NOT-OD-25-104 prospectively updates NIH policies and practices for utilizing foreign subawards. This step helps us enhance the tracking of foreign subawards, consistency across reporting systems, and protect national security of the biomedical research enterprise. Reports from the U.S. Government Accountability Office , concerns raised by Congress, and internal system inconsistencies further highlight the need for this policy change. https://grants.nih.gov/news-events/nih-extramural-nexus-news/2025/05/new-nih-foreign-subaward-structure-enhances-integrity-accountability-oversight-and-national-security-of-nih-funded-research
5/7/25: Universities Sue NSF Over Indirect Research Cost Policy (Inside Higher Ed) In the lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts , the same day the NSF’s new policy went into effect, the coalition argued that a cut would risk the country’s standing “as a world leader in scientific discovery” and “the amount and scope of future research by universities will decline precipitously.” It warned that “vital scientific work will come to a halt, training will be stifled, and the pace of scientific discoveries will slow” and that “progress on national security objectives, such as maintaining strategic advantages in areas like AI and quantum computing, will falter.” https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/05/07/universities-sue-nsf-over-indirect-research-cost-policy
See also: Universities Sue US Science Agency Over Research Costs Cap (1) (Bloomberg) https://news.bloomberglaw.com/pharma-and-life-sciences/universities-sue-national-science-foundation-over-research-cap?context=search&index=33
5/7/25: Deciphering the Trump Administration’s Latest Letter to Harvard (Inside Higher Ed) In a three-page letter sent to Harvard University on Monday evening , the Department of Education said federal agencies will no longer provide the wealthy institution with any grant funding, alleging that Harvard has engaged in a “systemic pattern of violating federal law” and calling it a “mockery of this country’s higher education system.”… As a result, Baker hopes that college and university leaders will learn that negotiating with Trump is “a fool’s errand.” But some institutions, she predicted, will still sacrifice their ideals in order to try and keep their heads down. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2025/05/07/experts-unpack-linda-mcmahons-latest-letter-harvard
See also: Trump Administration Disqualifies Harvard From Future Research Grants (New York Times) https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/us/politics/trump-harvard-research-grants.html
5/7/25: Columbia Lays Off 180 Amid ‘Intense’ Financial Strain (Inside Higher Ed) “ Columbia’s leadership continues discussions with the federal government in support of resuming activity on these research awards and additional other awards that have remained active, but unpaid,” university leadership wrote in a memo Tuesday morning. “We are working on and planning for every eventuality, but the strain in the meantime, financially and on our research mission, is intense.” https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/05/07/columbia-lays-180-amid-intense-financial-strain
5/7/25: ‘Second chance’: convicted US chemist Charles Lieber moves to Chinese university (Nature) The prominent US chemist Charles Lieber, who was convicted of hiding his research ties to China from US federal agents, has joined the faculty of a Chinese university… https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01410-7
5/6/25: Accelerating Implementation of the NIH 2024 Public Access Policy (NIH Extramural Nexus) NIH has announced that the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy will now go into effect on July 1, 2025. That change is meant to provide speedier public access to NIH-supported research findings. All other aspects of the 2024 Public Access Policy remain the same. The current NIH Public Access Policy remains in effect through June 30, 2025. https://grants.nih.gov/news-events/nih-extramural-nexus-news/2025/05/accelerating-implementation-of-the-nih-2024-public-access-policy
5/6/25: Trump moves to tighten rules on risky research on viruses, bacteria, and toxins (Science) The U.S. government has announced new, stricter policies on federally funded experiments that could make pathogens or toxins more dangerous. An executive order signed yesterday by President Donald Trump promises more transparency on such research, stiffer penalties for scientists who violate the rules, and a ban on federal funding for this type of research in countries of concern, such as China. https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-moves-tighten-rules-risky-research-viruses-bacteria-and-toxins
See also: Trump Executive Order Restricts ‘Gain of Function’ Research on Pathogens (New York Times ) https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/us/politics/trump-executive-order-restricts-gain-of-function-research-on-pathogens.html
See also: EO Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/improving-the-safety-and-security-of-biological-research/ and Fact Sheet: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-achieves-improved-safety-and-security-of-biological-research/
5/6/25: Introducing the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) Initiative (GSA):
- In accordance with Executive Order 14275, Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement and OMB Memorandum M-25-25 Overhauling the Federal Acquisition Regulation , the FAR Council is engaging in a comprehensive redesign of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) called the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) Initiative. The public and government stakeholders can comment on the RFO through the FAR Overhaul page on Acquisition.gov. While the FAR Council will not directly respond to the comments received, it will consider them in the formal rulemaking process.
- To comment on FAR Part 1 click HERE
- To comment on FAR Part 34 click HERE
5/6/25: Documenting Trump’s ‘Arbitrary’ Cuts to Science (Inside Higher Ed) The Trump administration has canceled close to $3 billion in NIH and NSF research grants, often without much explanation. Now researchers are crowdsourcing databases of suspended grants to shed light on what’s being lost. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2025/05/06/documenting-trumps-arbitrary-cuts-science
5/6/25: Cuts to US science will take a generation to repair — leaders must speak up now (Nature, World View) I can no longer do so in good conscience, however; at least, not in the United States, amid the quick-fire anti-science policies of the administration of US President Donald Trump , and at a time when an unelected billionaire, Elon Musk, is eviscerating staffing at key science agencies. These actions will inevitably cause harm to the future of health care, economic growth and national security. But there is another concern: the long-term damage they will do to the US scientific workforce. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01348-w
5/6/25: Vinay Prasad, in his own words, outlines the philosophy he’ll bring to the FDA (Stat) People seeking roles in government are often careful about what they say in public, or at least somewhat hesitant to freely share their opinions. It’s difficult to know exactly what’s going on in their heads. Not Vinay Prasad. The new top regulator of vaccines and gene therapies at the Food and Drug Administration has never shied away from speaking his mind — whether in academic papers, on social media, or on a diary-esque Substack called “Vinay Prasad’s Observations and Thoughts.” https://www.statnews.com/2025/05/06/vinay-prasad-fda-vaccine-regulator-analysis-of-previous-contrarian-comments-covid-autism-mmr-shots/
5/6/25: HHS’ Civil Rights Office Clarifies Race-Based Prohibitions for Medical Schools to Advance Values of Initiative, Hard Work, and Excellence (HHS Press Release) https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/guidance-med-schools-dear-colleague-letter.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CToday’s%20announcement%20protects%20students%20and,Rights%20Acting%20Director%2C%20Anthony%20Archeval .
5/6/25: PF2025-23 Compliance With Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws (DOE, Corporate Clause Now Posted) https://www.energy.gov/management/pf-2025-23-compliance-federal-anti-discrimination-laws
5/5/25: ‘It’s been a tough period’: NIH’s new director speaks with Science (Science) . ..the day before that budget was released, Bhattacharya sat down for an interview with this Science reporter. He was joined by NIH Chief of Staff Seana Cranston, a former congressional staffer who replaced John Burklow, a 4-decade NIH communications veteran. The encounter was brief, sometimes confrontational, and even personal… Bhattacharya blamed some NIH restrictions since January on “panicked overreaction to directions from above” and decried “panicked reporting” among media covering NIH. He dismissed an article in Nature on the pending policy on foreign collaborators as “rumors” hours before that policy came out. Twenty minutes in, NIH Principal Deputy Director Matthew Memoli, who had served as acting director until Bhattacharya arrived, opened the door to say: “Hey, Jay, I need you right now. I got a call from downtown.” The interview was over. https://www.science.org/content/article/it-s-been-tough-period-nih-s-new-director-speaks-science
5/5/25: Europe pledges €600 million to lure foreign researchers, vows to protect scientific freedom (Science) Europe is getting serious about its attempts to lure U.S. researchers who have lost their jobs or want to leave the country because of the assault on research by President Donald Trump’s administration. At a conference at the Sorbonne in Paris today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched a new campaign, Choose Europe for Science, and said the European Union would budget €500 million in new money in the years 2025–27 “to make Europe a magnet for researchers.” https://www.science.org/content/article/europe-pledges-%E2%82%AC600-million-lure-foreign-researchers-vows-protect-scientific-freedom
5/5/25: Is Bayh-Dole the Next Lever in the Push to Onshore Pharma Manufacturing? (Troutman Pepper Locke) https://www.troutman.com/insights/is-bayh-dole-the-next-lever-in-the-push-to-onshore-pharma-manufacturing.html?utm_source=vuture&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=health%20care%20%2b%20life%20sciences%20advisories%20-%20(tpl)
5/2/25: U.S. scientists’ lives and careers are being upended. Here are five of their stories (Science) Amid the grant terminations, program cuts, federal firings, disappearing databases, and myriad other disruptions U.S. science has seen during the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s administration, researchers are facing an uncertain future. Those studying hot-button topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), vaccines, and transgender health are squarely in the crosshairs, but the turmoil extends much further. The experiences of these five scientists offer a glimpse of the wide-ranging implications for the people who make the science happen. https://www.science.org/content/article/u-s-scientists-lives-and-careers-are-being-upended-here-are-five-their-stories
