White House proposes radical overhaul of US research for a "second American century"

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has signalled a fundamental shift in how the United States will fund, conduct and translate scientific research.

A new report, released on 20/07/2026 and titled "Science: A New Golden Age", aims to serve as a modern successor to Vannevar Bush’s 1945 landmark report, "Science: The Endless Frontier", arguing that the nation's scientific machine has become "bogged down" by legacy institutions and administrative bloat.

The report follows a letter written by US President Donald Trump in March 2026 to Michael Kratsios, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology.

Trump charged Kratsios with establishing a plan to:
• secure the US' position as the unrivalled world leader in critical and emerging technologies (such as AI);
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