Emerging tech, energy, space among Trump administration R&D priorities

The Trump White House issued its research and development budget priorities for fiscal year 2027 in a Tuesday memo, reemphasizing many of the administration’s previously stated focus areas, such as artificial intelligence, quantum, energy “dominance,” advanced military capabilities, and going to Mars.

Organized into five overarching priorities and subcomponents, the list came in the form of a joint memo to agency heads from the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Science and Technology Policy. That document also included several additional “priority crosscutting actions,” such as building the science and tech workforce pipeline and implementing President Donald Trump’s initiative for so-called “Gold Standard Science.”

While the document called the country’s science and technology engine the “greatest in the world,” it also said federal investments have been “unfocused” for years and were “weighted down by woke ideology and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.” That has been a frequent refrain from the Trump administration despite findings that diversity is a strength for research and business. 

Moreover, the memo comes as the Trump administration’s relationship with the research and scientific community is strained. The administration’s actions to cancel federal grants, terminate workers and eliminate certain functions at agencies has received backlash from scientists and federal workers overseeing scientific investments, public health, and the environment. Most recently, the administration’s push to discourage pregnant women from taking Tylenol for fear it may cause autism in children is being met with strong condemnation from scientists who say those claims lack evidence.

The five priorities are:

• Critical and emerging technologies: The administration indicated that it wants “unrivaled American leadership” in emerging tech, including AI, quantum information science and technology, semiconductors and microelectronics, advanced communication networks, computing technologies, and advanced manufacturing. Specifically on AI, the memo says the technology has the potential to be a new frontier for exploration and breakthroughs in science and industry and includes “several areas of emphasis,” including AI architectural advancements and adversarial robustness. Meanwhile, on quantum, the White House said “agencies should deepen focused efforts, such as centers and core programs, to advance basic quantum information science, while also prioritizing R&D that expands the understanding of end user applications and supports the maturation of enabling technologies.”
• Energy: The memo describes a desire to “unleash American energy dominance” as well as exploring “new frontiers.” That includes direction for agencies to “prioritize investments in affordable, reliable, and secure energy technologies, including fossil fuels, advanced nuclear fission and fusion, geothermal, and hydropower,” as well as development and demonstration of advanced reactors. It also includes polar exploration and ocean exploration and observation.
• Security: The memo calls national and economic security “key to achieving American strength and prosperity.” Under this priority, it includes advanced military capabilities (including hypersonic weapons and drones), Trump’s “Golden Dome” initiative for homeland missile defense, and general preparedness and resilience for risks like natural disasters, power grid vulnerabilities, and supply chain weaknesses.
• Health and biotechnology: The document lists health and quality of life as a “top priority” for the administration, and tells agencies to prioritize funding for “Gold Standard Science” that will address Americans’ “most pressing health challenges,” such as obesity, metabolic disorders, and Alzheimer’s. It also emphasizes preparation to respond to biological threats and domestic biomanufacturing capabilities.
• Space: Finally, the administration said investments in space should “prioritize ambitious targets.” That includes “building capacity for human missions to the moon and Mars,” the memo said. It also listed space weather hazard prediction, space nuclear power systems, and biotech for space applications as priorities.