The Future of Science and Research in the US is Being Threatened to be Limited by Ensuring Grants and Funding is Aligned with Administration Policies and Priorities
SUMMARYThe White House Office of Management and Budget has proposed a rule that would change how federal grants are awarded and overseen, tying funding to administration policies and priorities. The proposal could give political appointees greater control over research, education, and infrastructure grants, restrict some research collaborations, and allow grants to be suspended or canceled more easily. Public comments are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 13, 2026.
There's only three more days left to act unless the comment period for this somehow gets extended.
A new rule proposed by the White House Office of Management and Budget would fundamentally overhaul the way federal grants are awarded and overseen — a sweeping change that one scientific society said “would all but end the use of scientific merit in the selection of grants and programs across the government.”
Proposed in late May, the rule would give political appointees unprecedented control over federal grants for research, education and infrastructure, and specifies that government funds can only be spent on projects “aligned with administration policies and priorities,” according to a copy of the proposed rule.
The rule would also restrict research topics, limit U.S. scientists’ ability to collaborate with colleagues in other countries and make it easier for the government to suspend or cancel grants at any time.
The proposed rule grants the federal government broad powers to suspend or cancel grants for any reason, introducing “unprecedented unpredictability into local governance,” but it is clear that it can have sweeping effects on the future of any and potentially all science and research.
This news is highly being underreported and that is concerning. More people need to be talking about this, sharing it, and preparing/posting a comment against the rule.
You can officially submit your comment against the proposed OMB rule (Docket No. OMB-2026-0034) online before the deadline at 11:59 p.m. ET on July 13, 2026.
To submit your feedback, use the Federal eRulemaking Portal or simplify the process by using the guided comment tools provided by the different scientific coalitions online.