The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have unveiled a new policy aimed at stopping high-risk life sciences research to protect public safety and national security.
The policy targets dangerous gain-of-function research that possesses the potential to threaten lives, disrupt communities, and strain public health systems. Officials indicated that such research could also undermine the economic and national security of the United States if it is not strictly controlled.
The directive follows a commitment from President Trump to ensure that all federally supported life sciences research serves the interests of the American people. The new rules prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to support research that proliferates biological risks, whether the work is conducted domestically or in foreign nations.
This new framework establishes a transparent and accountable structure that denies federal support for gain-of-function research and strengthens the oversight of other high-risk biological studies. Additionally, the policy restricts funding for research conducted in countries that fail to maintain appropriate safety and security standards.
While implementing these restrictions, the administration noted that the United States will continue to support biomedical research essential for developing vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The government intends to balance scientific innovation with responsibility by applying rigorous safeguards to the highest-risk research.
The United States is also calling on international partners to join the effort to end dangerous gain-of-function research and to adopt stringent biosafety and biosecurity standards to better prepare the world for future biological threats.
