OSTP Seeks Input on Federal Science Policy Updates

Content

ACTION:

Request for information.

SUMMARY:

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on Federal policy updates that
aim to accelerate the American scientific enterprise, enable groundbreaking discoveries, and ensure that scientific progress
and technological innovation benefit all Americans. Through this Request for Information (RFI), OSTP seeks input from academia;
private sector organizations; industry groups; state, local, and tribal governments; and other stakeholders regarding priorities
for strengthening the science and technology (S&T) ecosystem to support both the expansion of scientific knowledge and the
mechanisms to transition these discoveries into the marketplace. This RFI will inform the formulation of Executive branch
efforts to advance and maintain U.S. S&T leadership.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 11:59 p.m. (ET) December 26, 2025.

ADDRESSES:

Interested individuals and organizations should submit comments electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number OSTP-TECH-2025-0100. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number. Information on how to use regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing agency documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site
under “FAQ” (https://www.regulations.gov/faq).

Instructions

Response to this RFI is voluntary. Please note that all submissions received in response to this notice may be posted on https://www.regulations.gov/ or otherwise released in their entirety.

Do not include in your submissions any copyrighted material; information of a confidential nature, such as personal or proprietary
information; or any information you would not like to be made publicly available.

OSTP will not respond to individual submissions. A response to this RFI will not be viewed as a binding commitment to develop
or pursue the project or ideas discussed. This RFI is not accepting applications for financial assistance or financial incentives.

Responses containing references, studies, research, and other empirical data that are not widely published should include
copies of or electronic links to the referenced materials. Responses from minors, or responses containing profanity, vulgarity,
threats, or other inappropriate language or content will not be considered.

Comments submitted in response to this notice are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Please note that the United
States Government will not pay for response preparation or for the use of any information contained in a response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information, please direct questions to Sihao Huang at engagement@ostp.eop.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

America's scientific enterprise is a complex machine comprising researchers, institutions, publishers, funders, and private-sector
organizations that turn discoveries into reality—all supported by a public that both shapes and benefits from scientific progress.
For decades, this enterprise has made American science the envy of the world. Our innovation engine has powered America's
dominance across industries, improved health outcomes nationwide, and fueled the greatest period of prosperity in history.

However, scientific discovery and technological progress are never guaranteed. They require the

  concentrated effort of individuals and organizations. Over the past century, America relentlessly reinvented the machinery
  of science itself. Examples include establishing university research programs, marrying large-scale engineering with scientific
  exploration across America's national laboratories, founding the National Science Foundation, launching the Apollo Program
  to win the Space Race, and pioneering the venture capital model.

Today, multiple forces are reshaping how scientific research is conducted. New institutional models like focused research
organizations operate outside traditional academic structures; emerging questions in fields like quantum information science
and biology require ever-closer collaboration between engineering and basic science; and rapid progress in AI promises to
accelerate discovery cycles. These shifts demand continuous improvement in how the Federal government supports scientific
research. Simultaneously, America's strategic competitors have placed unprecedented focus on scientific advancement. While
the U.S. retains a leading global position, breakthrough research that advances our short- and long-term national security
and economic competitiveness is now more urgently needed than ever.

These converging factors, which include new scientific opportunities, intensifying global competition, and evidence that traditional
approaches to research could be greatly improved, call for a comprehensive assessment of how the Federal government prioritizes
and structures scientific research.

Specifically, OSTP invites responses to one or more of the following questions:

(i) What policy changes to Federal funding mechanisms, procurement processes, or partnership authorities would enable stronger
public-private collaboration and allow America to tap into its vast private sector to better drive use-inspired basic and
early-stage applied research?

(ii) How can the Federal government better support the translation of scientific discoveries from academia, national laboratories,
and other research institutions into practical applications? Specifically, what changes to technology transfer policies, translational
programs, or commercial incentives would accelerate the path from laboratory to market?

(iii) What policies would encourage the formation and scaling of regional innovation ecosystems that connect local businesses,
universities, educational institutions, and the local workforce—particularly in areas where the Federal government has existing
research assets like national laboratories or federally-funded research centers?

(iv) How can Federal policies strengthen the role played by small- and medium-sized businesses as both drivers of innovation
and as early adopters of emerging technologies?

(v) What empirically grounded findings from metascience research and progress studies could inform Federal grantmaking processes
to maximize scientific productivity and increase total return on investment? Please provide specific examples of evidence-based
reforms that could improve funding allocation, peer review, or grant evaluation.

(vi) What reforms will enable the American scientific enterprise to pursue more high-risk, high-reward research that could
transform our scientific understanding and unlock new technologies, while sustaining the incremental science essential for
cumulative production of knowledge?

(vii) How can the Federal government support novel institutional models for research that complement traditional university
structures and enable projects that require vast resources, interdisciplinary coordination, or extended timelines?

(viii) How can the Federal government leverage and prepare for advances in AI systems that may transform scientific research—including
automated hypothesis generation, experimental design, literature synthesis, and autonomous experimentation? What infrastructure
investments, organizational models, and workforce development strategies are needed to realize these capabilities while maintaining
scientific rigor and research integrity?

(ix) What specific Federal statutes, regulations, or policies create unnecessary barriers to scientific research or the deployment
of research outcomes? Please describe the barrier, its impact on scientific progress, and potential remedies that would preserve
legitimate policy objectives while enabling innovation.

(x) How can Federal programs better identify and develop scientific talent across the country, particularly leveraging digital
tools and distributed research models to engage researchers outside traditional academic centers?

(xi) How can the Federal government foster closer collaboration among scientists, engineers, and skilled technical workers,
and better integrate training pathways, recognizing that breakthrough research often requires deep collaboration between theoretical
and applied expertise?

(xii) What policy mechanisms would ensure that the benefits of federally-funded research—including access to resulting technologies,
economic opportunities, and improved quality of life—reach all Americans?

(xiii) How can the Federal government strengthen research security to protect sensitive technologies and dual-use research
while minimizing compliance burdens on researchers?

(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6613.)

Dated: November 21, 2025. Stacy Murphy, Deputy Chief Operations Officer/Security Officer. [FR Doc. 2025-21150 Filed 11-25-25; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3270-F1-P

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