President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday directing federal agencies to focus on scientific research that is reproducible and falsifiable, a major overhaul that could disrupt much of the scientific and medical establishments.

Senior White House officials touted the order Friday as a return to “gold-standard science.” They said in a call with reporters that declines in disruptive, innovative research, along with a growing distrust in the scientific and medical establishments following the COVID-19 pandemic, require a recommitment to the basic principles of unbiased and interdisciplinary scientific advancement.