Department of Energy

AAU has issued a statement regarding provisions slashing research funding in the newly released FY26 Presidential Budget Request.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that covers all institutions in all states nationwide in the case filed by AAU, APLU, ACE, and nine impacted higher education institutions against the U.S. Department of Energy.

This page will be updated regularly to provide new information as it becomes available regarding the AAU-ACE-APLU legal action contesting the Department of Energy cutting reimbursement rates to 15%.

This is a legal filing contesting this unlawful and damaging decree submitted jointly by AAU, APLU, and ACE in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, along with a number of impacted research university co-plaintiffs, seeking to halt the proposed cut.

This is a statement of the Association of American Universities, Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities, and American Council on Education regarding their legal challenge to the administration’s cut to critical energy research

AAU expresses strong support for Dr. Darío Gil's nomination as Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy. The letter highlights Dr. Gil's extensive experience, including his roles on the National Science Board and in IBM Research, and emphasizes his vision for collaborative scientific advancement to address growing U.S. energy needs and global competition in emerging science-based fields.

AAU submitted comments in response to OSTP's request for information on the Development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan. AAU's overarching recommendation is to pursue a focused initiative to accelerate AI for discovery. This initiative should seek to align government investments with industry, universities, and other stakeholders to develop the tools, practices, partnerships, and infrastructure to catalyze scientific progress using AI.

AAU has signed a letter from the Energy Sciences Coalition (ESC) recommending that Congress allocate $9.5 billion for the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science in FY 2026 to maintain U.S. competitiveness.

As lawmakers consider measures related to securing federally funded research data and intellectual property, it is important to understand the current state of play for research security in the country to avoid new requirements that are duplicative, unnecessary, or counterproductive

The Task Force on American Innovation, which includes AAU, sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump congratulating him on winning the election and urging him to “prioritize federal support for the U.S. scientific research enterprise, an essential component of our global competitiveness and prosperity.”