Hello INFORMS Members -
Washington is moving fast, and the through line this week is trust, compliance, and the role of science in public life. Here are a few highlights:
From the White House
AI continues to be front and center. Axios reported on White House plans to expand its AI policy agenda, with new initiatives expected to shape federal strategy and agency priorities. These debates will have lasting implications for how research, innovation, and accountability are structured going forward.
On the Hill
- The Senate HELP Committee is holding a hearing on "Restoring Trust Through Radical Transparency" - with CDC practices and children's health under the microscope. That phrase, "radical transparency," feels like a signal we'll be hearing more of in future oversight debates.
- House appropriators advanced two key FY26 bills: Commerce-Justice-Science (covering NSF and NASA) and Labor-HHS-Education (covering NIH). These measures will shape the funding outlook for the agencies at the center of our community's work.
Take Action: Support NSF Funding
Now is the time to make your voice heard. NSF is not an abstract line item - it fuels the research and innovation that drive U.S. competitiveness, national security, and leadership in emerging technologies. It supports 25% of all federally funded basic research at U.S. universities, especially in mathematics, computer science, economics, and social sciences - fields at the core of operations research and analytics.
When you contact your Senators and Representative, don't just urge them to support NSF - tie it back to your own work. Show how what you do strengthens the economy, advances innovation, or contributes to national security. That's the story policymakers need to hear.
For more information on engaging with elected officials please see the INFORMS Advocacy Toolkit.
You can find contact information for your Senators and Representative here.
Across the Agencies
Implementation of the "Gold Standard Science" executive order is now real. NIH, NSF, DOE, and NASA all dropped their plans within days of each other. NIH also issued new rules on research security and international collaborations. If you work across borders, this is a heads-up that expectations are shifting.
In the News
- A provocative call is circulating for universities to share more of their patent revenues with government.
- Federal News Network notes the White House is pushing for a stopgap spending bill through January to stave off a shutdown - setting up a tense winter.
- A court decision allowing the termination of NSF grants is raising alarms about the stability of U.S. research funding.
- And if you caught John Oliver's segment on higher education, you know the politics of science and academia are very much in the public spotlight.
What I'm Watching
The common denominator this week is trust - in science, in government, in institutions. We're seeing it tested in hearings, reinforced in new agency rules, and debated in the press. For our community, that means our work doesn't just have to be excellent - it has to be visible, transparent, and trustworthy in the eyes of policymakers and the public.
As always, let me know if you have any questions.
Best,
Jeff
* Reminder – INFORMS members make a difference in Washington and in the media. Please reach out to me at jcohen@informs.org to learn more about how you can get involved in INFORMS' advocacy efforts.
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Jeffrey M. Cohen, MBA | PhD Candidate
Chief Strategy Officer
INFORMS
jcohen@informs.orglinkedin.com/in/jmcsc
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