New executive order puts all grants under political control

Suspension of Tao/IPAM Funding and Social Media

• Commenters link the grant freeze on a top mathematician and his institute to the new executive order, seeing it as an early concrete example.
• Some describe replies on X as a “cesspool”, citing rising antisemitism in academia and culture-war framing around Qatar and Israel. Others note people still use X because of its concentration of influential voices.

Government vs Private Funding of Science

• One major thread asks why so much science is state-funded rather than supported by philanthropy or companies.
• Researchers reply that private funding:
  • Exists but is tiny relative to federal budgets (e.g., NIH scale).
  • Is concentrated in donor “pet” areas, often short-term, status-seeking, or profit-oriented.
  • Rarely supports basic science, unglamorous fields, or broad open calls.
• Pro‑government arguments: basic research is a public good, underprovided by markets; state funding allows long time horizons, national competitiveness, and talent attraction.
• Counterpoints: universities are bloated, misprioritized (e.g., athletics vs research), and grant overhead had already become a perverse incentive.

Politicization of Grants Under the Executive Order

• The order requires that grants “advance the President’s priorities” and allows cancellation of existing awards; indirect cost rates are capped.
• Scientists stress that the novelty is not that funding is “political” in the abstract, but that:
  • Decisions shift from expert peer review to political appointees.
  • Previously, awarded grants were stable; now they can be yanked over speech or disfavored topics.
• Some argue this effectively compels self-censorship by researchers and students.

Impact on US Science and Talent

• Many predict severe damage to US scientific leadership, graduate training, and international recruitment; top students may avoid 5‑year PhDs under such uncertainty.
• A minority downplays “end of science” rhetoric, noting other countries (especially China) run highly politicized systems yet produce world-class work.

Authoritarian Drift, Legality, and Systemic Weaknesses

• Large subthreads see this as part of a broader slide into illiberalism: emergency powers, gerrymandering, ignoring lower-court orders, and erosion of norms around checks and balances.
• Others argue the constitution always contained “vulnerabilities”; what’s new is an executive willing to exploit them and a partisan Congress/Supreme Court unwilling to check it.
• Some ask what can be done (e.g., strikes, protest), while others express resignation or focus blame on both current and past parties.

International Response

• Several note this is a prime opportunity for Europe (and China) to lure disillusioned US researchers, though EU bureaucracy and low pay are seen as constraints; China is portrayed as increasingly competitive, especially in AI.