President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order aimed at halting federal funding for high-risk biological research, including gain-of-function experiments, particularly in foreign countries with poor oversight.
The executive order immediately ends all current and future U.S. government funding for dangerous gain-of-function research conducted in nations considered adversarial or lacking sufficient biosafety protocols, such as China and Iran.
Under the new directive, American research agencies are also tasked with identifying and terminating funding for any biological research, foreign or domestic, that could pose a risk to public health, safety, or national security. The order places a particular emphasis on preventing U.S. tax dollars from supporting research that could lead to the development of pandemic-level pathogens.
In addition, the order explicitly blocks federal funds from supporting foreign research that could contribute to future pandemics. This includes experiments similar to those previously conducted by the EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, both of which have drawn scrutiny over their work on bat coronaviruses.
The move is intended to reduce the risk of lab-based outbreaks and other biosecurity threats, citing past incidents such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 1977 Russian flu as cautionary examples.
🚨 BREAKING: @POTUS just signed an executive order protecting Americans from dangerous gain-of-function research.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 5, 2025
The order:
— Ends any present and all future Federal funding of dangerous gain-of-function research in countries of concern like China and Iran and in foreign… pic.twitter.com/4Cn7iQ4i3L
