It's interesting after reading briefly about this, but I think previously NIH funding was more permissive to directly awarding funds to foreign nationals/groups. But interestingly enough, China doesn't do the same for say foreign researchers trying to collaborate with chinese researchers. (Unless you already live there etc etc). So it was indeed asymmetrical.

This could be understandable if some rationale was provided, but it's worse than that:

> Neither agency has publicly issued new formal guidance describing these requirements. Instead, officials are informing grantees individually, leaving researchers confused and concerned.

They've not even made it official. They're just randomly flagging.

I wonder when the trump administration will ever decide if it wants to Be isolationist or global imperialist.

Well, we can't have have the non indoctrinated taking away our freedom. USA USA USA.