Throughout the year, SOT is approached by like-minded organizations to lend its support to varying issues and recommendations. This blog contains a summary of recent actions by SOT related to regulations and public policy.
Concern about Implementation of Executive Order 14292 “Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research”
On July 29, 2025, SOT was a co-signatory on a letter to NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya that expressed concern about the implementation of Executive Order 14292 “Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research.” Under the Executive Order, dozens of grants have been suspended for research into treatments and diagnostics for infectious diseases. Per the letter, “research currently covered by the gain-of-function pause is already subject to a high level of review and scrutiny to protect the public and the scientists conducting the work. NIH’s recent actions ignore this existing infrastructure and expertise, and in doing so, threaten to drive researchers out of scientific fields and further cede U.S. leadership in biomedical research and biosecurity.” You can read the full letter, co-signed by 40 organizations, on the SOT website.
Remember that you can view recent SOT statements and policy activities on the “SOT Statements” web page. You also can find a historical record of policy activities and SOT documents, such as Annual Business Meeting presentations and Annual Meeting publications, on the “Publications and Historical Documents” web page.
This blog is being shared under the SOT President’s name as part of their official duties and should not be interpreted as their personal or professional opinions.
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