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White House proposes sweeping science funding overhaul
Plan places artificial intelligence at the center of future U.S. scientific research.
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IANS - Wed, 22, Jul 2026
- 04:27 EDT
- 30
White House / IANS
The Trump administration has proposed the most extensive overhaul of the U.S. scientific research system in more than eight decades, placing artificial intelligence at the center of scientific discovery and seeking alternatives to the traditional peer-review process.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released the report, Science: A New Golden Age, outlining changes across the federal research enterprise, which distributes about $200 billion annually in research and development funding.
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The proposal calls for directing more federal support to individual scientists rather than established institutions, creating agile research organizations, and expanding Advanced Research Projects Agency-style programs focused on high-risk, high-reward research.
"American scientific progress was the beating heart of the 20th century. After World War II, we adapted to a new world by reinventing our scientific institutions, and we must do so again today," OSTP Director Michael Kratsios said.
"This report lays a policy foundation that frees American scientists to do their most groundbreaking work, revives the national pursuit of ambitious scientific missions, and positions the United States to lead the AI-driven scientific revolution that will define the next century," he added.
The report argues that consensus-based peer review often favors incremental research and established programs. It recommends testing "golden tickets" that would allow individual technical reviewers to support unconventional proposals that might not receive backing through traditional review panels.
It also encourages agencies to explore prizes, advance market commitments, regranting models and other mechanisms designed to promote innovative research.
Artificial intelligence is the centerpiece of the strategy. The administration said federal agencies should fully fund and expand the Genesis Mission, launched in November 2025 to double the productivity and impact of American science and engineering within a decade.
The initiative aims to connect supercomputers, scientific datasets, instruments and AI models across national laboratories. Agencies would also support specialized scientific foundation models, autonomous laboratories and AI systems capable of generating hypotheses, conducting experiments and analyzing results.
The report identifies several national scientific priorities, including developing a quantum computer capable of enabling scientific discovery, demonstrating commercial fusion power in the United States by the mid-2030s, and advancing next-generation semiconductor technologies.
In space, it calls for returning Americans to the Moon by 2028, establishing a lunar base, and developing nuclear power systems for future space exploration.
The proposal also seeks stronger collaboration among government, universities, private companies and philanthropic organizations. It recommends creating regional innovation clusters linking research with advanced manufacturing, apprenticeships and technical training.
The report describes China as the United States' first peer-level competitor in research spending, saying Beijing's investment has reached parity with the United States on a purchasing power-adjusted basis by some measures. It calls for continued U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence, quantum science, semiconductors, nuclear energy, robotics and space systems.
The blueprint draws comparisons with Vannevar Bush's 1945 report, Science: The Endless Frontier, which shaped the postwar U.S. research system. The White House described the new report as the first comprehensive rethinking of that system in more than 80 years.
Federal agencies with at least $3 billion in fiscal year 2026 research and development budget authority have been directed to submit implementation plans within 90 days and incorporate the new priorities into their fiscal year 2028 budget proposals to the Office of Management and Budget.
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