The White House Office of Management and Budget has published a proposal that would require all federal grants to universities and nongovernmental organizations to be vetted by Trump administration appointees for adherence to "American values" as defined by the president.

According to the lengthy proposal published last week, all federal grants approved by Trump's political appointees must "demonstrably advance the president's policy priorities." The change would affect billions of dollars in federal grant funding distributed to research institutions and nonprofit organizations.

The proposal represents a significant shift in how federal research funding is allocated, moving oversight from career civil servants and peer review processes to political appointees. Critics have raised concerns about the potential impact on scientific research integrity and independence.

Science policy experts have characterized the proposed changes as potentially harmful to the U.S. research enterprise. The new requirements would apply broadly across federal agencies that distribute grants for scientific research, education, and other programs.

The proposal comes as the Trump administration has also released budget requests for fiscal year 2027, including a $63 billion request for the Department of Homeland Security, representing a $2.2 billion decrease from 2026 levels. The Treasury Department is seeking $11.5 billion in budget authority for domestic programs, a 12 percent decrease from the previous year.