Federal Control Tightens on Research Funding and Programs

Recent developments in U.S. government agencies have sparked concern and confusion among scientific and research communities. The NOAA was temporarily instructed to clear all international communications, causing disruptions in global collaborations crucial for weather forecasting, though this directive was soon eased. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s actions to freeze USAID programs threaten significant impacts on Vermont's economy and global development efforts, with criticism from Senator Peter Welch. Additionally, scrutiny over research funding has intensified with the NSF's examination of diversity-related terms in grants, potentially altering the funding landscape significantly. In a related issue, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suspended federal funding to EcoHealth Alliance due to concerns about research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. These moves collectively reflect a shift towards tighter governmental control over scientific and international cooperative efforts.