White House Issues ‘Golden Age of Science’ Report and 2028 Research Priorities

Earlier this month, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) release a report, Science: A New Golden Age. The report calls for a shift in the way research is funded in the U.S. and centers on Trump Administration priorities in emerging areas like AI. OSTP Director Michael Kratsios discussed the report before the House Science, Space and Technology Committee last week (see related article).

The report outlines several recommendations, including expanding opportunities for startups, independent research organizations, nonprofits, and industry partners. To encourage more innovative research, the report argues that traditional peer-review systems often favor consensus over high-risk, high-reward ideas. Among its recommendations is the introduction of “golden tickets,” which would allow agency reviewers to advance unconventional proposals that might otherwise be rejected by standard review panels. The concept is already being piloted through NSF’s Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Directorate (TIP). The report also renews calls to reduce indirect cost recovery for research institutions, arguing that funds currently supporting administrative overhead should instead be redirected toward scientific infrastructure and research activities.

Accompanying the report, OSTP and the White House Office of Management and Budget released their annual joint memo to federal agencies outlining the Administration’s research priorities for fiscal year (FY) 2028. Key priorities include developing new research funding models, expanding early-career STEM opportunities to cultivate top technical talent, improving the evaluation of research funding programs through the “science of science-funding,” and strengthening partnerships with industry to increase private-sector investment in research and development.