Overview

• Agencies must halt new grant opportunity announcements until senior appointees implement the order’s review process
• Each agency head is directed to appoint a senior political aide responsible for approving every grant and ensuring consistency with agency and national priorities
• The order emphasizes streamlining grantmaking to prevent waste and strengthen accountability of taxpayer funds
• It highlights particular concern over university grants covering administrative costs and a gain-of-function research award linked to COVID-19 origins
• The directive follows earlier America First measures, including grant freezes, legal challenges, and moves by the Department of Government Efficiency to cut contracts and recover about $9 billion