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A key prestigious award awarding bodies has issued a warning that scholarly independence is facing challenges in the US and elsewhere, with political interference risking long-lasting negative effects – as scientists get ready for the upcoming award announcements.

Policy Changes and Their Effects

The former president has introduced or proposed a swathe of measures in his second term that critics argue will hamper education and scientific research.

“I think over time, it can have serious damage,” the official told Reuters during a discussion. “Scholarly independence ... is one of the pillars of the democratic system.”

The administration rejects limiting scholarly work, saying these actions will reduce inefficiency and promote US scientific innovation.

Prestigious Award Background

These prestigious awards, considered widely as the highest science awards in the world, are scheduled to be revealed starting soon, commencing with the award for medicine or physiology next Monday and concluding with the announcement of recipients in economic sciences one week later.

The awards were established by wealthy Swedish explosives pioneer the philanthropist and are also handed out for outstanding achievements in physics, chemical sciences, literary works and peace. Recipients receive a monetary award of SEK 11 million ($1.2m).

Suggested Reforms

The administration has suggested reducing the budget for the National Institutes of Health, the world’s largest supporter of medical studies, and plans to restructure the Department of Education, in a bid to shrink the federal government’s role in education to support greater authority by local governments.

The government has additionally stated it would prioritise giving grant money to programmes that emphasize “national values”, and required that universities cap foreign student admissions at fifteen percent.

Professional Perspectives

“Regarding studies, this will cause a significant decline in what the American scientists are able to accomplish and their permitted activities, their publication opportunities, their funding prospects. Consequently, this will create big effects,” said the official, who is chairperson of the academic policy group at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Administration officials said in an electronic statement that America was the largest funder of scientific research in the world.

“The Administration’s targeted cuts to waste, fraud, and abuse in academic financing and visa programs are will enhance Americans’ innovative and research leadership,” it said.

University Relations

The administration has additionally confronted multiple elite institutions – some of whose faculty may be among the Nobel prize winners in coming days – threatening to cutting government support regarding matters such as pro-Palestinian protests related to Israel’s war in the region, university inclusion and transgender policies.

Economic Perspective

British-born American economist Simon Johnson, recipient of the Economics Nobel in 2024 for research of how institutions affect prosperity, said that Trump’s actions would definitely hamper financial development.

“Such measures are absolutely, unambiguously very negative and particularly for employment growth,” the economist, who is a professor at MIT Sloan School of Management, said.

“Every technical and research-related work, I think, will face consequences,” the expert said. “Biological research is a especially active field currently and NIH is, for whatever reason, facing truly massive cuts.”