Issue Brief

New U.S. Department of Education (ED) rules implementing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will eliminate the Grad PLUS loan program as a source of financial aid and impose a new tiered system of annual and lifetime loan caps for graduate and professional degrees.

An advocacy brief focused on the critical role of ARPA-E in bolstering U.S. energy innovation leadership.

America’s leadership in science, technology, talent, and innovation is at risk due to inadequate federal investment, while leadership in advanced fields like artificial intelligence and quantum computing is shifting to China. To reverse this trend and secure our global position, robust funding for our key science agencies is essential.

F&A Costs of Research one-pager

The Association of American Universities urges Congress to fund the National Science Foundation (NSF) at $9.9 billion for FY27. Funding the NSF at this level will enable the United States to maintain and strengthen our global leadership in scientific innovation.

The Association of American Universities (AAU) urges Congress to maintain strong bicameral, bipartisan support for the NIH. AAU recommends at least $51.3 billion in NIH funding for FY27.

The Trump administration’s deep cuts to federal funding of scientific research, crackdown on universities, and proposals aimed at deterring international talent have unleashed a loss of scientific talent – a brain drain - away from the United States to other countries.

The Association of American Universities (AAU) urges Congress to reject policies that make it harder for the United States to attract and retain the best and brightest students and scholars from around the world and other high-skilled foreign talent.