Research and Development

GAIN OF FUNCTION RESEARCHTrump Administration Issues Restrictive Executive Order to Govern Gain-of-Function Research
Last week President Trump signed an executive order which imposes new restrictions on gain-of-function (GoF) research. Scientists and biosecurity experts say it is not unreasonable to review the security measures governing GoF research, but that the administration has used a definition of GoF which is too broad, vague, and inaccurate, raising the concern that the United States will become less safe, and less prepared for unforeseen biothreats, as essential research and important studies would be hobbled because of the wide net cast by the executive order.
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GAIN OF FUNCTION RESEARCHGain-of-Function Research Is More Than Just Tweaking Risky Viruses – It’s a Routine and Essential Tool in All Biology Research
By Seema Lakdawala and Anice Lowen
Updates to current oversight are not unreasonable, but blanket bans or additional restrictions on gain-of-function research do not make society safer. Gain-of-function experiments are not inherently risky or the purview of mad scientists. In fact, gain-of-function approaches are a fundamental tool in biology. Misunderstanding the term “gain of function” as something nefarious comes at the cost of progress in human health.
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COVID ORIGINSNew Genetic Study Finds SARS-CoV-2 Originated in Wildlife Trade
There is no scientific consensus on the origins of COVID, but the Trump administration is treating the speculative lab leak theory as a given. The administration claims that the lab leak theory has been “confirmed,” even though it is no more than a mere conjecture. In fact, the most recent study, published Wednesday, lends support to the zoonotic spillover theory.
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DEFENSE ACQUISITIONThe Battle for Pentagon Acquisition Policy: Tradition Versus New-and-Cheaper
By Bill Sweetman
The weapons that get bought in larger or smaller quantities, or are launched or cancelled, will indicate whether US President Donald Trump’s administration will strengthen long-range deterrent forces, order a retreat under his Golden Dome missile-defense system, or spend four years trying to blend incompatible visions of industrial and technological strategy.
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TARGETING SCIENCEA Siege on Science: How Trump Is Undoing an American Legacy
By Sachi Kitajima Mulkey
In its first 100 days, the Trump administration has slashed federal agencies, canceled national reports, and yanked funding from universities. The shockwaves will be felt worldwide.
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TARGETING SCIENCEFreezing Funding Halts Medical, Engineering, and Scientific Research
By Liz Mineo
The Trump administration’s decision to freeze more than $2 billion in long-term research grants to Harvard has put a halt to work across a wide range of medical, engineering, and scientific fields. The projects focus on issues from TB and chemotherapy to prolonged space travel and pandemic preparedness.
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TRGETING SCIENCETrump’s War on Measurement Means Losing Data on Drug Use, Maternal Mortality, Climate Change and More
By Alec MacGillis
By slashing teams that gather critical data, the administration has left the federal government with no way of understanding if policies are working — and created a black hole of information whose consequences could ripple out for decades.
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TARGETING SCIENCEMore Than 1,900 Scientists Warn of Trump’s Attacks on Science
More Than 1,900 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine signed an open letter, warning the American people about the danger posed by the Trump administration’s sustained attacks on science.
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R&DMIT Lincoln Laboratory Is a Workhorse for National Security
By Kylie Foy
The US Air Force and MIT renew contract for operating the federally funded R&D center, a long-standing asset for defense innovation and prototyping.
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BIOSECURITYAI Tools Can Enhance U.S. Biosecurity; Monitoring and Mitigation Will Be Needed to Protect Against Misuse
A new report recommends ways for the U.S. to reap the benefits of artificial intelligence in biotechnology while minimizing risks that AI may be misused to develop harmful biological agents.
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SCIENCE“America Can’t Be Great Without Great Science. That Is Where the Academies Can Help.”
By Molly Galvin
Recent actions by the federal government affecting agencies that fund science in the United States have sent shock waves through the research community. “My biggest concern is for the pipeline of talent: We might not have the educated students to meet the needs of the greater STEMM workforce…. I’m concerned that with the cuts in science budgets and the federal workforce, we will not see the same number of students being trained,” says the president of the National Academy of Sciences.
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SCIENCE“Wholesale Assault on U.S. Science”: Scientists Say Administration’s Policies Pose Serious Threats to U.S. Science
More than 1,900 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine signed an open letter warning Americans that the administration is engaging in a “wholesale assault on U.S. science” that could set back research by decades and that threatens the health and safety of Americans.
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UNCERTAINTY & R&DPolitical Uncertainty Leads to Growth, Innovation: Research
By Sheri Irwin Gish
Research suggests that political uncertainty, often seen as a hindrance to economic stability, may actually have a silver lining.
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R&DHow Progress Happens
By Alvin Powell
On Feb. 7, the National Institutes of Health issued a notice, effective Feb. 10, to cap reimbursements for indirect costs (IDC) associated with its grants. The world’s largest public funder of biomedical research, the NIH supports investigations into, among other things, efforts to fight cancer, control infectious disease, understand neurodegenerative disorders, and improve mental health. Harvard’s vice provost for research details crucial role of NIH support in science and medicine.
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MISINFORMATIONScience Misinformation, Its Origins and Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies
A new report provides a comprehensive assessment of the literature on science misinformation, its origins and impact, and strategies for mitigating its spread and potential harms.
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