ENSURING AMERICAN SAFETY AGAINST RISKY GAIN OF FUNCTION RESEARCH: Today, President Donald J. Trump took a significant step by signing an Executive Order aimed at bolstering the safety and security of biological research both domestically and globally. This Executive Order encompasses the following key measures:
- Discontinues all current and future Federal funding for perilous gain-of-function research located in nations of concern, such as China and Iran, as well as other countries with inadequate oversight protocols.
- Empowers American research agencies to scrutinize and terminate Federal funding for biological research deemed a threat to public health, safety, or national security.
- Explicitly forbids Federal funding that could potentially contribute to foreign research likely to incite another pandemic. These actions aim to dramatically mitigate the likelihood of laboratory incidents related to gain-of-function research, akin to studies conducted on bat coronaviruses by the EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
- Safeguards Americans from laboratory accidents and other biosecurity threats, including those linked to COVID-19 and the 1977 Russian flu outbreak.
IMPLEMENTING SAFE AND SECURE OVERSIGHT OF RISKY GAIN OF FUNCTION RESEARCH IN THE U.S.: This Executive Order is designed to enhance the safety and security of biological research for Americans, all while supporting U.S. innovation.
- For years, oversight policies governing gain-of-function research on pathogens and toxins have suffered from inadequate enforcement, transparency, and comprehensive oversight. Researchers have often overlooked the genuine risks that such studies may pose to society.
- The previous Biden Administration permitted hazardous gain-of-function research with insufficient oversight, even approving Federal funding for life-science research in countries like China.
- The 2024 United States Government Policy for Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential (“DURC/PEPP”) and the 2024 Framework for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening stand as prime examples of policies that rely heavily on self-reporting, which ultimately fail to protect Americans from dubious research practices.
- This Executive Order halts research utilizing infectious pathogens and toxins within the United States that may endanger American lives until a more robust, enforceable, and transparent policy is established. It mandates that the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Security Advisor (NSA) collaborate with funding agencies to formulate this policy within 120 days.
- In contrast to previous policies, this Order includes enforcement and reporting mechanisms that will bolster oversight and prevent researchers from exploiting ambiguities in policies to bypass biosafety and biosecurity regulations.
PROTECTING THE FUTURE AND PROMOTING AMERICAN BIOTECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP: President Trump is steering the nation toward a Golden Age of American Innovation, paving the way for a safer, healthier, and more prosperous future.
- This Executive Order safeguards Americans from risky gain-of-function research that manipulates viruses and other biological agents, while still fostering productive biological research essential for maintaining U.S. readiness against biological threats and reinforcing global leadership in biotechnology, biosecurity, and health research.
- President Trump has long posited that COVID-19 may have originated from a laboratory leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, consistently advocating for transparency in the investigation of its origins.
