In an executive order Thursday, President Donald Trump moved to solidify his control over the billions in scientific and health research grants the government provides.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has wrested power from the civil servants who have traditionally determined who gets funded by barring spending on some projects on ideological grounds and freezing awards to major research universities.

The Thursday order goes further, directing agency heads to designate a senior appointee to create a process for reviewing new funding opportunities. Appointees and their designees should work to advance the president's agenda whenever possible, the order says.

The order also signals Trump’s plan to redistribute grant funding away from major research universities that have long commanded the biggest awards. The order says agencies should look to a broader group and favor institutions that can do the work at a lower cost.

In the order, Trump wrote that there is "a strong need to strengthen oversight and coordination" of grantmaking to ensure that taxpayer money is spent in the public's interest.

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