MENU
Text/HTML

Government Policy Changes: BPS Actions and Resources

In Janauary 2025, the new U.S. Administration wasted little time following the inauguration to being issuing new policies, including hundreds of Executive Orders (EOs) on day one, to guidance and mandates impacting the full breadth of government. At the same time ushering in a change in leadership for many federal agencies and a transfer of power in the United States Senate. The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has been tracking the Executive Orders, Agency Guidance, and Judicial interventions impacting scientific research and providing members with BPS' responses and the tools to advocate on behalf of science. 


Timeline: Actions and Responses

01/14/25 – Call to Action: NIH Travel Ban
01/15/25 – Coalition Letter: AdHoc Coalition Welcome Letter for the 119th Congress 
01/24/25 – Call to Action: NIH Travel Ban  
01/27/25 – BPS President Issues Message to Members 
01/29/25 – BPS in the Beltway | January 29, 2025 
02/10/25 – Call to Action: NIH Issues Cap to Indirect Cost Rates at 15%  
02/17/25 – BPS hosts Emergency Town Hall at Annual Meeting 2025 
02/28/25 – BPS launches Executive Orders and Federal Action webpage 
02/28/25 – BPS in the Beltway | February 28, 2025 
02/28/25 – Coalition Letter: Research America FY25 Appropriations Letter  
02/28/25 – Coalition Letter: CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases Funding Letter  
03/04/25 – Call to Action: Take Action on Executive Orders and Federal Guidance 
03/04/25 – Coalition Letter: ESC FY26 DOE Appropriations Request  
03/05/25 – Coalition Letter: CNSF FY26 NSF Appropriations Request  
03/06/25 – Call to Action:  Share Your Story with BPS - NIH Indirect Cost Rate Caps  
03/10/25 – Coalition Letter: ESC Response to RFI on Development of AI Action Plan  
03/14/25 – Call to Action: Share Your Story with BPS - NIH Indirect Cost Rate Caps  
03/15/25 – Coalition Letter: Impact and Safety of Vaccines 
03/18/25 – Call to Action: Biophysics Week Promotion 
03/21/25 – Call to Action: Last Chance to Register for The Art of Science Storytelling 
03/21/25 – BPS President Message to Members: BPS is Here for You 
03/25/25 – Call to Action: Stop the Cap on NIH Indirect Cost Rates  
03/26/25 – BPS Webinar on The Art of Science Storytelling 
03/26/25 – Call to Action: Share Your Story with BPS - NIH Indirect Cost Rate Caps 
03/27/25 – Call to Action: NIH Issues Cap to Indirect Cost Rates at 15% 
03/28/25 – Call to Action: Agency Travel Suspension Leaves Researchers in Limbo 
03/28/25 – BPS in the Beltway | March 28, 2025 
04/07/25 – Coalition Letter: AdHoc Coalition FY26 NIH Appropriations Request 
04/07/25 – Coalition Letter: AdHoc Coalition FY26 NIH Q&A Document  
04/10/24 – BPS Agrees to support APS amicus brief on Reduction in Force court denied standing 
04/16/25 – ESC Supported Senate Letter to DOE Secretary Wright 
04/21/25 – CHF Letter HHS FY26 Budget Proposal HAC+SAC+LHHS+Leaders UPDATED  
04/21/25 – BPS Agrees to support APS amicus brief on Student Visa Holders Deportation action halted by Administration    
04/22/25 – Coalition Letter: CHF HHS FY26 Budget Proposal to HAC+SAC+LHHS+Leaders  
04/24/25 – Coalition Letter: ESC Coalition DOE F&A Caps 
04/29/25 – BPS in the Beltway | April 29, 2025 
04/30/24 – Coalition Letter: EPA Science and Technology Funding House 
04/30/24 – Coalition Letter: EPA Science and Technology Funding Senate 
05/02/25 – Coalition Letter: American Psychological Association Letter on Reduction in Force  
05/02/25 – Coalition Statement: Ad Hoc Statement on President’s FY 2026 Budget Proposal 
05/05/25 – Call to Action: DOE F&A Cost Cap 
05/08/25 – Coalition Letter: Reduction in Force Request for Transparency Letter FINAL  
05/09/25 – Coalition Letter: Ad Hoc Group Director Bhattacharya Invite pending 
05/19/25 – Coalition Letter: ESC FY 2026 Skinny Budget Response  
05/30/25 – Coalition Letter: Letter Regarding NSF from Scientific Organizations 
05/30/25 – BPS in the Beltway | May 30, 2025 
06/03/25 – Coalition Statement: CNSF Statement on FY26 Budget 
06/03/25 – Coalition Letter: Protecting Non-Profit 501(c) Tax Status 
06/04/25 – BPS President’s Message on McClintock Letters Campaign 

January 20-21 – 300+ Executive Orders (EOs) issued 
January 21 – HHS pauses all communications until February 1 
February 3 – DEI lawsuit filed, no action yet 
February 5 – US Attorney General issues 2 memoranda on EO implementation  
January 27 – OMB order M-25-13 outlining grant freeze 
January 28 – DC Court issues temporary injunction on freeze until February 3 
January 29 – OMB order M-25-14 rescinding M-25-13  
January 29 – White House states freeze remains in effect 
January 31 – Rhode Island court blocks freeze 
February 2 – NIH Travel freeze remains in-place 
February 3 – DC court blocks freeze 
February 7 – NIH Guidance Indirect Grant Costs Cap of 15% effective Feb. 10 
February 10 – DC court clarifies scope of injunction, orders release of funds 
February 10 – Massachusetts court block cuts to NIH F&A cuts until Feb. 21 
February 17-18 – First round of probationary staff cuts; incl. 168 NSF and 1,200 NIH staff 
February 21 – Maryland court issues injunction on two DEI EOs impacting higher education 
February 21 – Massachusetts court extends injunction to NIH F&A cuts 
February 27 – California court orders OPM to rescind order to fire probationary employees 
March 3 – NIH announces some key grant-review meetings will resume later this month 
March 3 – NSF reinstates 84 of 86 probationary employees 
March 8 – NIH announces staff cuts of 3,400 to 5,000 to meet Reduction in Force (RIF)  
March 12 – NIH rehires 250 scientists, lab techs & admins; incl. 15 tenure-track researchers  
March 13 – California court orders Department of Energy to rehire fired probationary staff 
March 13 – Maryland court orders rehiring of NIH, NOAA and NIST probationary staff 
March 14 – Congress agrees to CR for remainder of FY25 (through September 31)  
April 11 – Department of Energy announces 15% cap on Indirect Costs 
April 23 – White House proposes Schedule F rule to add new political appointees to agencies 
April 30 – National Science Foundation announces indefinite halt to new funding 
May 2 – National Science Foundation announces 15% cap on Indirect Costs 
May 2 – White House releases ‘Skinny Budget’ with proposed cuts to all science funding mechanisms 
May 5 – Massachusetts court issues injunction to NSF F&A cuts
May 15 – Massachusetts court issues injunction to DOE F&A cuts