The presidential administration has issued a series of orders over the summer changing how science grants are funded. The orders typically make reference to the phrase “gold standard science.”

Regardless of the branding, the practical impact will be to make it harder to do cutting-edge science in this country.

The key executive order was released in May; follow-up orders are still coming out.

The most damaging portion of the order, made more clear a couple of weeks ago, will place a person appointed by the president into each of the major research funding organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. That person will have the authority to overrule individual grant recommendations and cancel current grants.

To understand the damage of this

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