White House to propose $100K fee for international graduate workers

A Department of Homeland Security proposal to charge fees — reportedly $100,000 — to international graduates applying to work in the US has cleared White House review. A Federal Register notice with more details and the proposed fee amount on the Optional Practical Training program is now expected.

OPT gives F-1 visa students up to a year to gain work experience after graduating. STEM students can apply for a two-year extension, and often do so before seeking an H-1B visa application. More than 400,000 students participate in OPT each year, largely from India, China, and other Asian countries, according to a 2025 Congressional Research Service report. Students currently pay an application fee of around $500 to join the program.

Separately, the White House on Friday issued a proclamation renewing its $100,000 fee on some H-1B visas and an executive order directing more interagency coordination and scrutiny of H-1B applications. Since the fee was first proposed in 2025, “H-1B registrations filed by the largest IT outsourcing firms have been reduced by 92%,” says a White House statement.

White House reportedly seeks more control over NIH grants

A planned White House executive order would create an external approval panel for National Institutes of Health grants, several news outlets reported over the weekend. The decision follows a reported Oval Office meeting on Friday in which Office of Management and Budget demands for more research cuts clashed with NIH funding commitments.

Political appointees, including OMB Director Russell Vought and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, would sit on the reported executive board, which would have the final say over scientific grants. The White House clash reportedly centers on Vought’s view that NIH continues to fund diversity and health equity grants disfavored by the Trump administration, as well as grants at schools that have resisted administration policies in court, such as Harvard.

The White House press office did not reply to a Monday request for comment on the news reports. “All N.I.H. grant monies will be spent,” an NIH spokesperson told the New York Times, a response to reports that OMB seeks to rescind some of the agency’s 2026 research funding.

Research!America, a science advocacy organization, criticized the proposed panel in a statement. “Adding more bureaucrats would slow medical progress to a grinding halt,” said the group’s president and CEO Russ Paulsen.

Trump admin racked up billions in extra deferred resignation costs last year

Federal agencies spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave in 2025, six times what they spent in 2024, a new report from the Government Accountability Office found. GAO assesses that at least $6.7 billion of that expense was directly caused by the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program, which offered several months of paid leave to federal employees who agreed to quit their positions. The Department of Energy, for example, spent over $275 million on administrative leave pay between 2023 and 2025. In its response to the report, the Office of Personnel Management emphasized that it expects the deferred resignation program to save the federal government at least $20 billion annually.

Dems push for DOE to reinstate lab safety measures

Senior Democratic appropriators are pressing the Department of Energy to restore safety and oversight standards it eliminated last month as part of an effort to streamline operations at national laboratories, plants and other DOE sites known as “Project Velocity.”

In a Sept. 16 letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) called for DOE to immediately reinstate three orders canceled under “Project Velocity” alongside multiple requests for information. Two of those orders required department-wide reporting of environment, safety, health, and operational incidents, while the third established a formal process for employees to request reviews of technical safety concerns.

“We are deeply concerned that the scope and pace of these simultaneous changes will weaken critical safety protections, reduce independent Federal oversight, impair public visibility into departmental operations, and transfer significant responsibility from Federal officials to contractors without adequate safeguards in place,” wrote Murray and Kaptur. “In short, we are worried the rollback of these changes could jeopardize the safety of work being conducted across the DOE enterprise and waste taxpayer dollars.”

Also on our radar

• Biomedical researchers on Thursday filed a class-action lawsuit challenging National Institutes of Health screening of awards. In July, an NIH official acknowledged the agency used a list of banned keywords related to gender and diversity to flag grants.
• A Pentagon official acknowledged that the US Space Force has deployed in-orbit “space control” weapons. No further details on the weapons were provided, but some observers suspect they involve communications jamming. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans only weapons of mass destruction in orbit.
• The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced bills last week to support the quantum industry, bar certain labs from using China-made semiconductors, and require reports on various technologies.
• House Science Committee ranking member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) promised oversight of proposed “golden age” changes to NSF grantmaking in the next Congress.
• NSF is reestablishing its advisory committee for the Office of Integrative Activities. The committee previously advised on potential improvements to the merit review process and reviewed major NSF programs like EPSCoR and the Major Research Instrumentation program. The agency eliminated the committee and 11 others in April 2025, only keeping those required by statute.
• NSF announced the remaining X-Labs research topics for this year: AI for physical systems, “computation at the limit of physics,” and biological engineering. The agency issued an RFI for feedback on future topics.
• The Justice Department has sued all 24 states that offer in-state tuition to undocumented students, as well as Washington, DC.
• The FAR Council, which includes the Federal Procurement Policy Office, GSA, DOD, and NASA, issued a second set of proposed rules to streamline federal procurement policy.

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All events are Eastern Time unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement. Events beyond this week are listed on our website.

The House is in recess until Nov. 9, aside from a single session scheduled for Oct. 1. The Senate will remain in session through Oct. 2 before recessing until Nov. 9. Midterm elections will take place Nov. 3.

Monday, September 21

No events.

Tuesday, September 22

National Academies: Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics meeting (continues through Thursday)

Atlantic Council: Nuclear Energy Policy Summit (continues Wednesday)

Wednesday, September 23

RAND: Toward a future of directed energy: Directed energy readiness framework workshop
8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Senate: Hearing to examine updating America’s nuclear waste management policy
10:00 am, Environment and Public Works Committee

Harvard: Prospects for Golden Dome
11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Hudson Institute: Inertial confinement fusion bolsters strategic deterrence
1:30 - 2:45 pm

C2ES: Is the United Nations ready to deal with climate tipping points?
6:00 - 7:00 pm

Thursday, September 24

NSF: Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee meeting (continues Friday)

Senate: Closed briefing on an update on the budget of the Department of Defense
9:30 am, Armed Services Committee

DOE: Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship pilot virtual town hall
10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Harvard: Battlestar Russica: The strategic logic of Russian nuclear warfare in space
12:15 pm - 1:45 pm

Friday, September 25

No events.

Monday, September 28

New America: Higher education after Trump
12:00 - 1:30 pm

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Deadlines indicated in parentheses. Newly added opportunities are marked with a diamond.

Job Openings

◆National Academies: Program officer, Computer Research, Technologies, and Systems (ongoing)
National Academies: Publications director, Cooperative Research Program (ongoing)
Aerospace Corporation: Analyst, space policy (ongoing)
APS: Head of scientific programs (ongoing)
◆DOE: Federal project director, Thomas Jefferson Site Office (Sept. 21)
NOAA: Deputy director, Office of Communications (Sept. 22)
Nature: News intern (Sept. 23)
◆NASA: Director, ISS Vehicle Office (Sept. 23)
DOE: Fermi Site Office manager (Sept. 24)
◆Commerce: Grants management specialist (Sept. 24)
◆NSF: Deputy directorate head, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (Sept. 25)
◆NASA: Director, Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (Sept. 28)
IDA: Research analyst, science policy (Sept. 30)
AIP: Science policy fellowship, State Department (Oct. 1)
AAAS: Project manager, Center for Scientific Responsibility and Justice (Oct. 1)
AAAS: Program director, Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues (Oct. 8)
AAAS: Pathways to Policy Fellowship (Nov. 1)
AIP: Science policy fellowship, Congress (Dec. 1)

Solicitations

APS: Call for ideas for the NSF Forward initiative (ongoing)
ACS: Call for ACS members to address global grand challenges in chemistry (ongoing)
FAS: Public Impact S&T Initiative open call (ongoing)
NIST: Request for letters of interest for the Neutron-Based Materials Characterization Consortium (ongoing)
NIST: Request for nominations for members to serve on NIST federal advisory committees (ongoing)
NIH: RFI on proposed changes to reporting outcomes from NIH peer review (Oct. 13)
NIST: RFI on modernizing the National Vulnerability Database in the age of artificial intelligence (Oct. 13)
NIH: RFC on draft NIH Biosafety Policy for Research Involving Biohazards (Oct. 19)
◆HHS: RFI on electromagnetic fields, radiofrequency radiation, and wireless radiation exposure (Oct. 21)
◆NSF: RFC on notice of intent to integrate three NCSES workforce surveys (Oct. 27)
◆NSF: RFI on identifying the next generation of X-Labs topics (Oct. 30)
DHS: RFC on proposed rule eliminating the discretionary 60-day grace period for H-1B and other visa holders (Nov. 10)
◆NIST: RFI on future needs for medical metrology and standards for medical imaging, devices, diagnostics and therapy (Nov. 30)

Know of an opportunity for scientists to engage in science policy? Email us at fyi@aip.org.

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Do you have a story to tell about how science policy is impacting you?

AIP’s research team is gathering first-hand accounts from scientists, engineers, students, and staff whose careers have been affected by policy and funding changes over the past year. Volunteers can submit their stories via this online form. Participants’ stories will be added to the Niels Bohr Library & Archives digital repository as searchable, citable records — with options for anonymity and a five-year embargo period. Read more about the initiative here.

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News and views currently in circulation. Links do not imply endorsement.

White House

Wired: The Trump administration sends a new signal to alien disclosure whistleblowers
Ars Technica: Trump White House just tossed a grenade into international space relations
White House: President Trump restores reciprocity in government procurement
Bloomberg: Trump and Xi Jinping face off on AI as White House meeting nears
Bloomberg: Trump opposes AI guardrails amid chip selloff
ProPublica: Papa Johns, propaganda and Putin: How a MAGA influencer with ties to Russia became Trump’s Arctic adviser

Congress

Roll Call: AI threats confront a Congress far from erecting guardrails
Politico: House Democrats press Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to stay in session and address AI safeguards
American Nuclear Society: House subcommittee discusses NLIC, nuclear spent fuel policy
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID) statement on House passage of Russia sanctions bill
Senate Commerce Committee: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX): US Space Academy belongs in Texas
The Information: Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) urges Chinese labs to help pace frontier AI
House Science Committee: Chairman Brian Babin (R-TX) issues statement following briefing on AI agent cyber incident
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA): Ranking Member Lofgren meets with AI companies to discuss recent loss of control events

Science, Society, and the Economy

The Atlantic: The American age is over (perspective by Phillips Payson O’Brien)
The Conversation: Is science journalism dying? Comparing a ‘science crash’ 40 years ago to today (perspective by Bruce Lewenstein and Chris Mooney)
Washington Technology: GAO tells NSF to re-evaluate $8B Antarctica award

Education and Workforce

Chronicle of Higher Education: Congress crawls toward higher-ed AI regulation
Export Compliance Daily: University official: Compliance with BIS 50% rule will be ‘extraordinarily difficult’
Chronicle of Higher Education: Are foreign ties just the latest excuse to punish colleges?
Inside Higher Ed: Many HBCUs thrive as other institutions struggle to enroll enough students
Bloomberg: Accenture settles with Justice Department over DEI policies

Research Management

Retraction Watch: Lancet union declares first-ever strike over staff wages
Scholarly Kitchen: Does peer review favor familiarity over innovation? (perspective by Sami Samiei Esfahany)
Issues in Science and Technology: Building a knowledge commons (perspectives)
Issues in Science and Technology: Federal government help needed for public data (perspectives from Stephanie Straus and Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger)
Nature: AI companies must work with the research community to protect attribution (editorial)
Science|Business: Can researchers trust that AI models won’t leak their ideas?

Labs and Facilities

New York Times: Scientists overhaul giant particle collider in search of universe’s hidden building block
CERN Courier: The collider dividend
Idaho National Lab: Mapping hidden organizational influence in US critical infrastructure
Lawrence Livermore National Lab: Annual LLNL tech transfer report highlights mission, innovation, impact
MIT: Robotic lab sets up and runs optics experiments on demand
HPCwire: PPPL Links STELLAR-AI with UK fusion supercomputer under Genesis Mission
NIST: NIST awards more than $30 million for MEP centers in 11 states and Puerto Rico

Computing and Communications

NSF: NSF invests in translating low-dimensional semiconductor technologies to establish US leadership in microelectronics
Scientific American: Anthropic’s AI steals mathematicians’ record for most complicated curve
The Information: OpenAI is close to solving another Millennium Prize math problem
Washington Post: China says US tech leaders’ calls for AI slowdown are ‘malicious competition’
The Information: Anthropic, OpenAI, Google quietly discussed an AI safety standards body

Space

NPR: NASA rushed engineers out of their labs. They say it risks future space missions
NASA Watch: Goddard is having downsizing problems (perspective by Keith Cowing)
NASA: NASA Celebrates Restoration of Guam station damaged by Typhoon Mawar
NASA OIG: NASA’s compliance with the Geospatial Data Act for FY2026 (report)
American Nuclear Society: DOD funds $161 million space reactor award
CSIS: Does the space commerce certification create or reduce red tape? (perspective by Clayton Swope)
Inside Defense: Cape, Vandenberg need major infrastructure upgrades to meet Trump space launch directive
NASA: NASA welcomes Djibouti as newest Artemis Accords signatory

Weather, Climate, and Environment

Inside Climate News: These state elections could reshape climate and energy policy
Inside Climate News: Trump doubles down on climate denial with plan to repeal power plant rules
Politico: EPA rollback may worsen Trump’s Supreme Court climate headache
Inside Climate News: How the end of USAID eroded global environmental goals
New York Times: The latest corporate climate ruse (perspective by Michael Grunwald)

Energy

FedScoop: Energy competition aims to ‘maximize’ US chances in quantum race
DOE: Secretary of Energy Chris Wright delivers statement at the general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria
HPCwire: DOE launches competition to accelerate development of world’s 1st fault-tolerant quantum computer

Defense

Inside Defense: Guetlein details how Golden Dome aims to reconcile sweeping mandate with cost
Politico: ‘The US can’t lose’: Pentagon plows ahead on AI despite warnings
DefenseScoop: Pentagon offers new ‘targeted legal relief’ for UAP whistleblowers supporting Trump’s PURSUE work
NTI: Russia and United States retreat from nuclear security as 12 countries step up, 2026 NTI Nuclear Security Index finds
The Guardian: Top Trump military adviser says US must prepare to fight around Moon

Biomedical

NPR: Senators question Trump’s picks for top health positions, including surgeon general
Science: New NIH research center on vaccine harms takes shape
Politico: Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) slams RFK Jr. over measles outbreaks but demurs on confirmation vote
MedPage Today: Democratic senators slam RFK Jr.'s ‘vanity projects’
MedPage Today: The CDC division I spent 15 years building is in peril (perspective by William Dietz)
Stat: The FDA’s rebuilding effort is running into a new challenge
Nature: Why the NIH must resist the metrics trap (perspective by Kirsten Davison)
Retraction Watch: Diabetes association turmoil roils journal as group tries to thwart boycott

International Affairs

Bloomberg: At UN, nations wrestle with the rise of autonomous weapons
Nature: A wake-up call: diversify global research funding (perspective by Huixue Zhang and Shiyu Wang)
Nature: Chinese companies doubled down on science after US tech restrictions
Science|Business: Canada looks to deepen research and education links with the EU
Politico: Trump threatens to impose ‘serious tariffs’ on Europe if Canada joins EU as associate member
Science|Business: Horizon Europe: How are Ukraine and Moldova faring?
Research Professional: EU advised to do more to support open access