Opinion: The Trump administration is burying science and health care in paperwork

The federal government's paperwork burden is immense: in 2023, Americans spent 10,503 million hours on federal paperwork, and this 'time tax' deters people from claiming benefits, leaving about $140 billion in benefits unclaimed each year. Despite claiming to focus on 'finding efficiencies,' the Trump administration has expanded bureaucracy, especially at the Department of Health and Human Services, affecting scientists and Medicaid beneficiaries alike.

At the NIH, scientists already spent about 40% of their time on administrative tasks before 2025, and that percentage has grown. The agency now uses a computer tool to scan grants for prohibited terms, and grantees are asked to make revisions, sometimes mid-grant, ranging from language tweaks to major changes in aims and protocols. This burdens research teams and university administrators with surprise requests and additional DEI-related screening. Consequently, grant delays have mounted: as of the end of June, NIH spent 25% less on grants than in 2021-2024, and the chance of a new grant being awarded has dropped to 13%.

The Office of Management and Budget has proposed making this process permanent by requiring political appointees to review all grants before awarding, superseding peer review. This rule, which would affect all federal grantees, was proposed to take effect Oct. 1, but a Senate bill bars the OMB from implementing it until at least Dec. 11. These changes are causing scientists to worry more about keeping their labs and staff funded than about doing research, likely discouraging young scientists from pursuing research careers and pushing people out of the field.