Trump Administration Targets Researchers with Controversial New Questionnaire

In a recent move, the Trump administration has initiated a politically sensitive survey directed at scientists and research organizations engaged in international projects. This questionnaire, which was disclosed by The New York Times, requires researchers to identify any affiliations with entities perceived as antagonistic to U.S. interests, including those linked to communist, socialist, or authoritarian regimes.

The survey was distributed to groups receiving funding from prominent federal agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with the objective of assessing their overseas activities. Notably, the questionnaire echoes a similar one circulated recently to USAID partners, indicating a systematic approach by the administration to scrutinize foreign partnerships.

Research grantees expressed apprehension about the implications of their responses, cautioning that any missteps in their disclosures could jeopardize their funding and ongoing projects, which focus on critical issues like H.I.V. research, public health infrastructure, and data collection.

Embedded within the questionnaire are strong expressions of a political ethos, stating that taxpayer funds should not support "dependency, socialism, or corrupt regimes" and emphasizing the need for an America that fosters "domestic growth, innovation, and economic strength."

As the deadline for responses looms, the scientific community watches closely, balancing the need for external funding with the potential risks of aligning with foreign entities deemed undesirable by the administration.