Rep. Min Leads 31 Colleagues in Demanding Answers on University Research Funding Cuts
Washington, DC. — Congressman Dave Min (CA-47) led 31 colleagues in pressing the White House for answers on reported disruptions to congressionally appropriated federal research funding, warning that cuts, delays, and funding shifts at federal science agencies target colleges and universities that have long helped drive American research, innovation, and technological leadership.
In a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the members raised concerns over reports that the Trump administration is withholding or redirecting federal research funding and shifting resources away from institutions of higher education. The members requested a briefing and written answers on any involvement by OMB or OSTP in changes to Fiscal Year 2026 research funding, including funds that have been withheld, reprogrammed, or reduced and the legal authority underlying those actions.
“Universities are critical to the advancement of research that drives innovation and develops the next generation of scientific talent,” the members wrote. “Abruptly shifting resources away from established research programs undermines the stability of the nation’s innovation ecosystem and is already having negative repercussions on university campuses. Delays and uncertainty in NSF and NIH research funding are forcing schools to reduce critical Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics facilities, programs, and experts, pause the hiring of new postdoctoral and graduate students, and re-evaluate long-standing technology transfer partnerships with industry. These disruptions not only threaten the United States’s ability to recruit, train, and retain the next generation of innovators, but also research that serves as the foundation for future discoveries.”
These developments come as OSTP has outlined a broader effort to restructure how the federal government supports scientific research. In its July report, Science: A New Golden Age, OSTP recommended refocusing federal support on individual scientists rather than “legacy institutions,” expanding alternative funding models, and creating new research organizations such as X-Labs. The White House has directed federal research and development agencies to develop plans to implement the report’s recommendations.
The requested information includes, where applicable:
Any advice, direction, or consultation by OSTP or OMB with NSF, NIH, or any other federal science agency regarding reductions, reprogramming, or other changes to Fiscal Year 2026 research funding, including the nature of those communications, identify the agencies involved, and any recommendations or directives issued by OSTP or OMB.
All Fiscal Year 2026 funding for NSF, NIH, and other federal science agencies that have been withheld, reprogrammed, or recommended for reduction following guidance or recommendations from OSTP or OMB, including the affected account or program, the amount of funding, the date of the action, the stated rationale, and the intended use of any redirected or reprogrammed funds.
The statutory authority OMB intends to rely upon to implement the recommendations outlined in OSTP’s report, Science: A New Golden Age, particularly those calling for the federal government to “fundamentally change how research dollars are allocated, distributed, and assessed” and prioritize funding for individual scientists and non-traditional research organizations over “legacy institutions.”
Any changes to existing federal grantmaking procedures or priorities being considered, planned, or have been implemented.
An explanation of how OSTP’s recommendations regarding changes to federal research funding align with congressional directives for fiscal year 2026 appropriations, including language directing NSF to equitably disburse funding across its basic research directorates and prohibiting any directorate from receiving “more than 5 percent reduction [in funding] relative to the fiscal year 2025 enacted level.”
The members requested a response and briefing no later than October 1, 2026.
The full letter is available here.