The Trump administration, seemingly determined to dismantle the National Institutes of Health, continues to devise new and insidious ways to politicize what has long been considered the crown jewel of U.S. research.

The latest move? An effort to codify political oversight of the agency’s operations and impose abrupt and far-reaching changes to how research funding is allocated.

That’s left academic researchers — already at the mercy of a mercurial administration — in a constant state of uncertainty, wondering when their work might be targeted next. It’s also shrinking the scope of science the NIH is willing to support and making the U.S. a far less attractive place for pursuing biomedical innovation. The long-term consequence? A slowdown in discoveries that could meaningfully improve patients’ lives.

Since January, the Trump administration has repeatedly blindsided universities. More than 80% of the NIH’s $48 billion budget supports academic research — funding distributed through a rigorous, well-established system — one that Office of Budget and Management Director Russell Vought appears intent on upending.

“There’s just a lot in limbo on every possible level,” says Carrie Wolinetz, a former senior NIH official who now works at the government relations firm Lewis-Burke.

The pain for academia began just days after Trump took office. Funds for grants to support researchers at universities, hospitals and nonprofits were abruptly frozen. Weeks later, overhead costs — negotiated fees that pay for the infrastructure supporting labs around the country — were slashed. Researchers — first a few dozen, then hundreds — also began receiving........

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