US President Donald Trump signs an executive order: Reuters
Donald Trump’s administration has announced a new science and technology strategy that combines nuclear energy development and reform of scientific standards in the US. The President signed the relevant decrees on Friday, 23 May.
The first document envisages the “revival of nuclear energy” in the country:
- testing the latest reactor designs in national laboratories,
- simplification of licensing by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
- the possibility of building nuclear facilities on federal land.
“We are building a secure and sovereign fuel supply chain and leading the world to a future powered by American nuclear energy,” said Michael Kratzios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology.
The second decree introduces the so-called “golden standard of science” – a system of principles that should guarantee transparency, independence and scientific integrity.
“With this executive order, we are restoring public confidence in science,” the White House said in an official statement.
The document obliges all federal research agencies to act in accordance with the new standards. The administration is also calling on academic institutions across the country to “get back to basics” and ensure that there is no conflict of interest in research.
These initiatives were announced against the backdrop of a significant reduction in public funding for science:
In 2025, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is issuing new grants at the slowest rate since 1990.
The budget for new research projects has been reduced by more than $1 billion compared to the average of the last decade.
