Stand Up for Science Warns of Trump And Vought’s Backdoor Plan to Seize Control of Entire NIH Grant Budget

Signals another attempt to let White House pick winners and losers in American science, undermining decades of peer-reviewed research.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Following a White House meeting last Friday, convened in part to discuss a federal lawsuit that blocked the administration's attempted cuts to Harvard's $2.6 billion NIH grant portfolio, reports indicate President Trump and Russell Vought are now planning an executive order to create an external review committee with veto power over the National Institutes of Health's entire $48 billion grant budget, according to the New York Times.

In response, Stand Up for Science Founder and CEO Dr. Colette Delawalla released the following statement:

“These actions show us an administration determined to take control of our science, and Russell Vought will stop at nothing to do so. Since the public and Congress stood up to his attempted rule changes this summer, he’s pivoting to this workaround. But Stand Up for Science also will stop at nothing when it comes to pushing back on these unconstitutional attempts to steal NIH’s purse and portfolio, including removing Vought from power.”

Since OMB’s announcement of the proposed rule in late May 2026, Stand Up for Science has been sounding the alarm about the impacts of the proposal and the dangerous destabilization of federal funding it introduces. That proposal drew widespread public criticism, including tens of thousands of opposing comments on the Federal Register. Universities like Harvard, who receive a major portion of their research budget from federal grants, have been a target of the administration since Trump’s return to office in 2025. Stand Up for Science has also mobilized a campaign to rally around academic freedom in higher education.

Delawalla is available for comment and media appearances.

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Stand Up for Science is a grassroots, Washington, D.C. based, non-profit organization mobilizing the fight for science and democracy. Stand Up for Science was formed in February 2025 in response to actions affecting federal science agencies and funding of the American scientific ecosystem. On March 7th, Stand Up for Science mobilized over 50,000 people at 170+ events across the world on its first National Day of Action. Federal scientists across multiple agencies (NIH, EPA, NASA, FEMA) have chosen Stand Up for Science as the platform to publish their open letters of concern. Stand Up for Science is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization [EIN: 33-4154429] and donations are not tax-deductible.

Char Bowling
Stand Up for Science
media@standupforscience.net