“The White House has begun drafting a new executive order that could further cement President Trump’s ability to control billions of dollars in scientific grants and expand the administration’s pressure campaign against elite universities.

“Discussed at a highly contentious meeting at the White House on Friday, the order aims to create a new external committee with the power to veto awards in the National Institutes of Health’s vast research portfolio that do not conform to Mr. Trump’s political agenda, according to people with knowledge of the effort.

“During the meeting, Mr. Trump repeatedly complained about his administration’s failure to bring Harvard University in particular to heel. The administration has been unable to hammer out a deal with the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, a central plank of his broader push against ‘woke’ ideology in higher education.”

“One of Mr. Trump’s executive orders, issued on his first day back in office, ended all administration programs involving ‘diversity, equity and inclusion.’ It has had far-reaching effects on N.I.H. studies, including those investigating ‘health disparities’ — why populations defined by factors like race or socioeconomic status may be prone to certain diseases or to suffer worse outcomes.”

“\[A\]s N.I.H. director, Dr. \[Jay\] Bhattacharya has also supported eliminating funding for work he regards as low-quality or ideologically driven. In a brief conversation with reporters early in his tenure, Dr. Bhattacharya said the cancellations were targeting ‘politicized expressions of devotion to a particular ideology’ as opposed to ‘good science.’”

“A [proposed rule](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/us/politics/trump-budget-grants-omb-vought.html) earlier this year would have integrated political review into the entire federal grant-making process, calling for ‘ending government sponsorship of gender ideology and other radical doctrines.’”

White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants