Science Policy This Week: December 1, 2025

What’s Ahead

NDAA nears final vote

House and Senate negotiators released their reconciled text for the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act last night. The 3,000-page bill includes a range of research-related provisions.

The Senate-proposed BIOSECURE Act – which would bar agencies from contracting with or making grants to biotechnology companies from “foreign adversary” nations, notably China – made it into the bill. However, the SAFE Research Act, a major research security bill that was included in the House version, was not included. That bill would have prohibited federal grants to any researchers with broadly defined “affiliations” with “hostile foreign entities.”

Another prominent item that did not make it into the NDAA is a proposal, backed by the White House, to block states from regulating AI. However, President Donald Trump announced this morning that he will attempt to block state regulations via executive order.

The bill also includes the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act, which calls for sanctions and regulations aimed at prohibiting investment in and private deals with Chinese, Iranian, Russian, North Korean, and Venezuelan entities engaged in developing dual-use strategic technologies. The bill lists semiconductors, AI, high-performance computing, quantum, and hypersonics as examples of such technologies and allows for others to be added in the future.

The bill would prevent DOD from modifying indirect cost rates without first “working with the extramural research community” to develop a new model.

The NDAA features a variety of provisions for nuclear energy and weapons, including the creation of an “Advanced Nuclear Transition Working Group” that aims to advance the aims of President Trump’s May order on nuclear power. The bill directs DOD to produce reports and briefings on projects related to President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense program and prohibits DOD from developing Golden Dome capabilities that are not owned and operated by the armed forces.

The bill includes the 2026 Intelligence Authorization Act, which covers intelligence agencies and includes a variety of provisions relating to AI and biotechnology. The 2026 authorization for the State Department is also attached to the NDAA.

New batch of S&T nominees teed up

The Senate is moving forward with another batch of 97 nominations that includes numerous science and technology leadership positions, such as:

James Mazol to be deputy under secretary of defense for research and engineering,
Joseph Jewell to be assistant secretary of defense for science and technology,
James Caggy to be assistant secretary of defense for mission capabilities,
Robert Kadlec to be assistant secretary of defense for nuclear deterrence, chemical, and biological defense policy and programs,
David Beck to be deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration,
Christopher Yeaw to be assistant secretary of state for arms control, nonproliferation, and stability,
Pedro Allende to be under secretary for science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security,
Ethan Klein to be chief technology officer at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and
Timothy Petty to be assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

Earlier this year, Republicans changed the chamber’s rules to allow votes on multiple nominees at once, reducing the effectiveness of Democratic efforts to slow the pace of confirmations.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee is scheduled to vote this afternoon on Jared Isaacman’s second nomination to lead NASA. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who chairs that committee, has said he hopes to have Isaacman confirmed by the end of the year. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been serving as acting NASA administrator since President Donald Trump withdrew Isaacman’s original nomination over the summer.

Gil to testify on AI for science initiative

The House Science Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday focused on the Trump administration’s new AI for science initiative, called the “Genesis Mission.” Department of Energy Undersecretary for Science Darío Gil, who will oversee the mission, is slated to testify. A press release from DOE says the mission aims to “double the productivity and impact of American science and engineering within a decade,” and Gil wrote in a letter that DOE’s national labs will aim to achieve those gains in “half that time.” To support the mission, Energy Secretary Chris Wright commissioned a new “autonomous-capable” science platform for anaerobic microbial experimentation at Pacific Northwest National Lab last week. The hearing will also discuss the reorganization DOE announced last month and its impact on agency priorities. DOE is currently soliciting input on its plan to establish a public-private consortium to curate DOE data using AI and develop AI for science.

DOE renames National Renewable Energy Lab

The National Renewable Energy Lab is now “The National Laboratory of the Rockies,” the Department of Energy announced last week. In a press release, Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson said the name change came about because “the energy crisis we face today is unlike the crisis that gave rise to NREL,” adding that, “Our highest priority is to invest in the scientific capabilities that will restore American manufacturing, drive down costs, and help this country meet its soaring energy demand.” NREL was originally created as the Solar Energy Research Institute in 1977 as part of the federal government’s efforts to mitigate the effects of oil embargoes. The lab was renamed in 1991 when it was absorbed into DOE’s national lab system. A spokesperson for NLR said no additional changes to the lab’s portfolio or directorates are planned at this time.

Also on our radar

NASA has completed construction of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The telescope will move to the launch site at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after final testing and is slated to launch by May 2027.
The National Academies is holding an event on Tuesday to mark the release of a new science strategy for the human exploration of Mars.
On Jan. 25, NIH will start requiring grant applicants to use the Biographical Sketch Common Form that was developed in response to NSPM-33. Next May, NIH will also begin requiring grantees to complete research security training as outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act.
The Department of Education will launch a new portal on Jan. 2 for colleges and universities to report foreign gifts and contracts.
The Trump administration announced a preliminary agreement for its first CHIPS R&D award, which would provide up to $150 million to xLight for extreme ultraviolet lithography technology. In return, the Commerce Department would receive an equivalent amount of equity in xLight.
The American Historical Association will host a briefing on the Hill on Thursday on the history of federal science funding.