USG Policy: Stopping High-Risk Life Sciences Research

On July 28, 2026, the federal government issued a new government-wide policy prohibiting federal funding for gain-of-function research deemed to be high-risk and establishing a risk-based oversight framework for other high-risk life sciences work. Issued pursuant to Executive Order 14292, the policy replaces earlier oversight frameworks dating back to 2012 and defines two top-risk categories: dangerous gain-of-function (DGOF) research and international research of concern (IROC). Beyond the funding prohibition, it introduces expanded review, certification, monitoring, reporting, and enforcement obligations for institutions and researchers receiving federal life sciences funding, and it restricts federally supported research conducted in countries deemed to lack adequate biosafety and biosecurity oversight. On the same day, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued NOT-OD-26-101, noting that the agency is working to implement the new policy and that research previously paused under related 2025 gain-of-function directives (NOT-OD-25-127 and NOT-OD-25-112) remains suspended pending further guidance.