The Principled Investigator - September 11, 2026
The Principled Investigator - September 11, 2026
Weekly digest
On September 1, the House approved a Continuing Resolution to fund the government through December 11, avoiding a shut down before the midterms and delaying implementation of the proposed OMB rule that would give political appointees control over the award of NIH grants. This is good news in the short term, since it will further delay any implementation of the proposed OMB rules. Unfortunately the rules have not been permanently removed or modified, so we need to stay vigilant and continue to contact our members of Congress to fight against their implementation.
https://thehill.com/homenews/
house/6063667-house- government-funding-cr- shutdown-midterms/
NIH (policy & budget)
Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee, led by Rosa DeLauro, have announced that the Department of Defense is attempting to supplement their budget by taking funds from NIH. Although there has been a good deal of progress at NIH and other agencies at getting grants out the door before the end of the fiscal year, it is likely that NIH may not spend all of their funds, so this could be a way for the administration to keep those funds for other priorities.
Grant Witness (https://grantwitness.org/) continues to be a great source of information about federal grant awards. They have recently updated their website and added even more important information. Please check it out.
Institutional Targets & Their Responses
In the continuing attacks on universities that do support minority students, the Treasury Department announced proposed regulations that would remove the tax-exempt status of any school that engages in racial discrimination. To this administration, any efforts to support minority students or recruit minority students are viewed as discrimination against whites. This rule is a continuation of the attacks on universities like Harvard and Yale that they feel admit and support too many minorities.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/
09/03/business/economy/trump- irs-college-nonprofits.html
Related to the above story, Yale students, faculty and alumni held a rally to protest any potential settlement between the university and the administration. The administration has been attacking Yale over minority admissions in multiple schools at Yale (Law, Medicine, Undergraduate) and threatening severe penalties. Yale affiliates want the administration to fight the charges rather than sign a settlement and the Yale leadership has not been very transparent about the ongoing negotiations with the federal government.
https://www.
newhavenindependent.org/2026/ 09/01/yale-students-profs- protest-potential-trump-deal/
Adding to the list of elite universities targeted by the Trump administration, Duke University School of Medicine and University of California, Berkeley School of Law are the latest to be accused of racial discrimination against white and Asian applicants.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/
09/09/us/doj-california- berkeley.html
This week, the Mount Sinai Health System settled a lawsuit with the Department of Justice over transgender care, agreeing to halt all gender-affirming care for minors, pay an undisclosed fine, and to dedicate $2 million in funds to treat patients who suffered harms from receiving such care. The health system claims that the settlement was necessary to avoid being forced to turn over patient information to DOJ. The NY Civil Liberties Union and transgender advocates expressed outrage over the settlement, particularly given the fact that a federal judge ruled in favor of transgender families who received transgender care at New York City hospitals, barring the Justice Department from obtaining medical records and identifying information. Mount Sinai joins hospital systems in other blue states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut who have barred gender-affirming care under threats from the administration, leaving the transgender community wondering where they can turn for safety and supports.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/
09/04/nyregion/adolescent- trans-care-mount-sinai-trump. html
International Scholars & Trainees
A survey conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that 1/3 of scientists who previously stated that they planned to pursue careers in academic research in the U.S. decided to pursue a different path, largely due to uncertainties around federal funding brought on by the Trump administration. Prior to Trump taking office, 66% of scientists surveyed responded that they intended to stay in academia. Six months later, in March of 2025, that number fell to just 44% of respondents. Survey data also showed a decrease in the percentage of scientists who intend to stay in the U.S (from 93% to 72%) and in the number who reported being satisfied with having pursued a PhD (from 92% to 76%), demonstrating the dramatic impact that administration policies are having on the future of science in the U.S.
Combating Misinformation
RFK Jr. and HHS have been reprimanded by a federal judge for citing fake studies in a funding notice related to teen pregnancy prevention. These findings were made as the result of a lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of shifting funding away from evidence-based teen pregnancy programs in favor of practices like abstinence education and “body literacy” which have been proven to be less effective. Fake citations were also noted in the MAHA report last year, indicating the likely heavy use of AI and at best, laziness on the part of HHS. At worst, this is yet another example of the administration’s intent to deceive the public in support of their own anti-science agenda.
https://www.newsweek.com/
judge-rebukes-hhs-teen- pregnancy-fake-studies- 12394940
Legislation & Calls to Action
Join Forces!
Big rallies are inspiring but sustained momentum is the way that we restore democracy and justice. Start a civic engagement group in your scientific community or join one of the organizations linked below.
Join with organizations like the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research and Research!America to advocate for an 8.7% increase in NIH funding to $51.3 billion in FY2027.
https://www.apaservices.org/
advocacy/news/congress-nih- 2027-budget
Speak Up!
Even though the deadline to submit comments on the OMB proposal has passed, we need to continue to ask Congress to oppose the rule.
Tell Congress to rescind Dr. Fauci’s contempt resolution referral to the Justice Department by signing the petition below.
Let your elected officials know: RFK has got to go! Contact them directly or sign and share the petition from Stand Up for Science:
Educate Your Friends!
Share one thing that you learned from this digest with at least one of your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe!
To stay up to date on action items and resources to defend science, we recommend the following organizations:
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
Science and Community Impacts Mapping Project
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