Reports indicate that the Trump administration is developing an executive order to establish a new oversight body for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This board would be empowered to review and approve grant funding, effectively granting the administration veto power over research projects. The initiative follows discussions among senior officials, including Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), who have expressed concerns that current NIH funding supports projects they characterize as "woke" or contrary to the administration’s political agenda.

While the administration frames this as a necessary step to ensure accountability and align federal spending with executive priorities, critics argue the move represents a form of political censorship. The Guardian reports that the board is intended to curb research topics that do not align with the president’s platform. Because the administration has not yet released the official text of the executive order, the specific criteria for what constitutes a "woke" initiative remain undefined. The proposal has sparked debate regarding the balance between executive oversight of federal agencies and the independence of scientific research funding.