Soon after his inauguration, President Trump wasted no time in setting the tone for his second term in office, resuming many of the policies that defined his presidency in 2016. He passed executive orders withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization, removing COVID-19 vaccine mandates and even renaming the Gulf of Mexico. One of his most dramatic orders was a freeze on federal grants and loans — threatening nearly $3 trillion in financial commitments to scientific research.
On Jan. 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14151, mandating that federal agencies pause the disbursement of federal financial aid. Instead, taxpayer dollars are being redirected toward programs deemed “critical” by the Trump administration. From the outset, it has been clear that this freeze is not just about fiscal responsibility. Rather, it is a direct attack on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as well as a devastating setback for major scientific research.
Halting financial support for DEI-related programs, the Trump administration has placed research or educational efforts that emphasize marginalized communities or address systemic inequities on precarious ground. This deliberate targeting of DEI undermines the principle that science should serve all communities—especially those historically underserved.
This order also terminated all federal programs associated with DEI, framing these initiatives as “illegal and immoral discrimination programs.” It is no secret that the Trump administration has repeatedly criticized DEI initiatives as a symbol of what it calls “woke ideology” or, in other words, any policies seeking to increase diversity, awareness or cultural sensitivity. Trump made it clear that his administration views DEI efforts as unnecessary expenditures that promote diversity over merit. The real outcome of Executive Order 14151, though, is that all pathways aimed at closing equity gaps are systematically dismantled.
Federal funding decisions might seem distant and mundane, but Trump’s executive order has already led to real, tangible consequences for the Poly community. The U.S. government contributes critical support to the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) through the federal budget, and this support extends to the NHGRI’s, “Genomics: Insights,” a digital, open-access publication that offers high school students a rare opportunity to have their work professionally reviewed and published. Since 2021, 35 Poly students have successfully published articles in the journal.
However, since Trump’s executive order, the NHGRI has been forced to amend its terms for accepting submissions. Founding Director of Poly’s Biological Research Initiative, Bala Selvakumar, whose website reads, “The primary mission of the Poly Research Initiative is to create time and space for students to develop intrepid research skills that they can use independently to engage with the real-world.” Selvakumar continues to encourage students to develop their research articles. Many of their projects examine how policy intersects with health equity, such as advocating for more access to screenings in marginalized communities or exploring how race and socioeconomic status contribute to disparities. However, students looking to publish their work in notable journals have to think of alternative ways to articulate their work in a way that avoids DEI-related restrictions. As a result, their research and participation in DEI-focused academic publishing have to change. Even more alarming is that previously published research reviews related to DEI topics, including from past PolyEnriched Biology students, have been pulled down from the website to align with the new executive order. Students looking to submit to the journal cannot discuss systemic injustices; otherwise, their work risks the same fate: removal and obscurity. Journals affiliated with the federal government have to make an especially difficult decision, as on one side, the journal has to restrict topics in alignment with the executive orders and but on the other hand, shutting down entirely would eliminate a crucial platform for young, high school researchers to engage with scientific inquiry. This dilemma forces educators, scientists and students to grapple with the broader implications of political interference in academic spaces. In the meantime, hoping to keep its platform alive for students to display their curiosity, the submission portal for the “Genomics: Insights” journal reads, “In accordance with the current executive orders, research review submissions related to DEI, sex and gender ideology and/or health justice topics cannot be considered for publication.”
“I was really shocked when Dr. Selvakumar told us about the sudden limitations on the publication of scientific work related to DEI and the requirement to find alternate ways to present our work to avoid DEI-related issues, especially since we had spent months working on our research and this issue just suddenly popped up,” said junior Alex Chui, a student in the PolyEnriched Biology class. “But at the same time, I also recognize that this issue is affecting researchers around the world who are actively trying to save lives.”
Chui’s words capture the problem scientists, whether students or professionals, now face: losing publishing opportunities is frustrating, yet it is just a tiny fraction of the damage being done to scientific research and inquiry.
While this defunding of DEI-related work is a clear political statement, the assault on the very bedrock of scientific progress must not go unnoticed. Laboratories nationwide depend on federal grants to conduct experiments and cover expenses like electricity, lab maintenance, equipment upkeep and staff support. Covering these costs is fundamental to the functioning of research institutions. The Trump administration capped the National Institute of Health (NIH) reimbursement for “indirect” research costs at just 15%, compared to the previous 50-70%. To put this into perspective, if an institution had $200 million in NIH grants for direct research costs, it previously received an additional $100 million in funds from the government for indirect research costs. However, under the new policy, that indirect fund would be reduced to $30 million, slashing federal investment by $70 million overnight, forcing institutions to cut back on other expenses, such as staff salaries, essential lab supplies, and even entire research programs.
This freeze has dramatically impacted medical research for Alzheimer’s treatment, cancer cures, and vaccine development. Scientific breakthroughs require years of investment and resources, so this freeze has thrown countless projects into uncertainty, placing millions of lives at risk.
The future of science and health rests on this moment. I refuse to accept a future where scientific progress is dictated by politics rather than fact. Congress must challenge this freeze, scientists and researchers must continue to advocate for funding, and students must raise their voices to demand access to lost opportunities; we must petition our local congress representatives and reach out to those in power––those who can argue for fair and diverse research opportunities. If we want a world where innovation thrives and is free from political interference, we must act now.
