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Policy News Headlines

Last updated Feb. 13, 2025

ESA is tracking the latest developments in science policy and news for the ecological science community. This page is updated periodically to bring you current news headlines.

Use the links below to jump to headlines organized by sector.

Executive Branch
A sweeping spending freeze is paused by the courts before being withdrawn, a flurry of executive orders targets DEI and other initiatives from the previous administration, and efforts to shrink the federal workforce face pushback from unions and the courts.

Congress
Committees of the 119th Congress get to work, Congressional Democrats protest the new administration’s actions, and confirmation hearings and voting continue for nominees to fill Trump’s cabinet.

Federal Agencies
Science agencies pause some operations and grant reviews while NSF and NOAA revisit existing awards, a move to slash NIH overhead payments to research institutions is temporarily paused by the courts, and multiple agencies scrub mention of DEI from their websites.

Informational Resources
Trackers, government websites and other sources of information on science policy developments.

 

Featured Headline:
NSF starts vetting all grants to comply with Trump’s orders ScienceInsider from AAAS
By Jeffrey Mervis
01/30/2025 06:15 PM EST

Executive Branch

Feb. 13, 2025

Feb. 12, 2025

Feb. 6, 2025

Feb. 4, 2025

Jan. 30, 2025

Congress

Feb. 13, 2025

Feb. 12, 2025

Feb. 10, 2025

Feb. 6, 2025

Feb. 4, 2025

Feb. 3, 2025

Jan. 30, 2025

Federal Agencies

Feb. 10, 2025

Feb. 9, 2025

Feb. 7, 2025

Feb. 6, 2025

Feb. 4, 2025

Feb. 2, 2025

Jan. 30, 2025

Informational Resources


This page is produced by the Public Affairs Office of the Ecological Society of America. ESA’s policy activities work to infuse ecological knowledge into national policy decisions through activities such as policy statements, Capitol Hill briefings, Congressional Visits Days and coalition involvement.

Send questions or comments to Alison Mize, Director of Public Affairs, or Mayda Nathan, Public Affairs Manager.

Visit the ESA website to learn more about our activities and membership.