Oppose OMB's Proposed Rule Politicizing Federal Science Grants

Reject the OMB's proposed "Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance," which would hand political appointees final approval power over scientific grants and explicitly demote peer review to merely "advisory." This rule would let senior political appointees override expert judgment on every federal grant — not to improve science, but to ensure research aligns with the President's political priorities. That is not oversight. That is interference. The damage would be concrete and lasting. Agencies could terminate active grants at any time if deemed inconsistent with "agency priorities." Researchers would need federal pre-approval to attend conferences or join professional organizations. Publication costs would be cut off, limiting public access to federally funded findings. As former NIH official Elizabeth Ginexi noted, Congress has repeatedly funded science agencies expecting merit-based, expert-driven processes insulated from political interference. This rule guts that expectation entirely. The public comment period closes July 13 — there is still time to act. Please oppose this rule and make your opposition public.