Protecting the Public's Investment in Science
June 24, 2026
Every year, the federal government invests billions of taxpayer dollars in scientific research. Americans make that investment with a simple expectation: honesty.
Honesty in grant applications. Honesty about who is funding the work. Honesty about whether federal requirements are being met.
When taxpayer dollars are involved, the integrity of the information matters just as much as the quality of the research itself.
America's scientific enterprise is the strongest in the world because it is built on innovation, excellence, and trust. Researchers across the country have developed lifesaving medical treatments, strengthened our national security, and fueled economic growth for generations.
But when most Americans hear the word "fraud," they picture someone stealing money outright. In federally funded research, the problem is often less obvious.
A university may fail to disclose foreign funding connected to a research project. An institution may certify compliance with federal requirements despite known vulnerabilities. A grant application may leave out information that could have changed a funding decision.
These may sound like technical violations. They are not.
Federal agencies rely on accurate information when deciding how to spend taxpayer dollars. When that information is incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading, projects can receive funding they otherwise would not have received. Every dollar spent on a flawed application is a dollar that cannot support the next medical breakthrough, the next energy innovation, or the next technology that helps America compete.
The stakes are only growing.
The next generation of advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing will shape the global economy and determine who leads in critical industries. America's research institutions are at the center of that competition.
At the same time, foreign adversaries are working aggressively to gain access to American research, intellectual property, and technological expertise. That is why federal law requires disclosures of certain foreign funding and affiliations. It is also why institutions receiving taxpayer support must meet specific standards.
These requirements are not bureaucratic box-checking exercises. They exist to protect the public's investment.
Tomorrow, I will chair an Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee hearing examining how fraud, nondisclosure, and false certifications affect federally funded research programs.
This hearing is not about questioning the value of American science. It is about ensuring that the systems supporting scientific research are worthy of the public's trust.
The overwhelming majority of researchers and institutions are doing extraordinary work and following the rules. They deserve a system that protects the credibility of their work and ensures taxpayer dollars are spent as intended.
This hearing is also not about assuming that more enforcement is always the answer.
When compliance failures occur, Congress has a constitutional duty to ask why.
Sometimes the problem may be misconduct. Other times it may be unclear guidance, inconsistent requirements, or weaknesses in the system itself. If we want better outcomes, we must be willing to examine those issues honestly.
American science remains the gold standard because it is built on excellence, transparency, and trust.
Taxpayers deserve confidence that the discoveries they fund are supported by a system that is honest, accountable, and worthy of that trust.
Issues:Science & Technology