A little over a week ago, the White House released a draft for a proposed rule that would devastate the scientific enterprise. The Trump administration's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is proposing that political appointees should decide who receives all federal research grant awards. Not peer review panels or experts, but political appointees—with no scientific background or expertise—would judge the merit of research proposals, override decisions by subject matter experts, and interfere with federal funding that doesn't conform to presidential priorities.
That's right. If your proposed research or your own expressed views or affiliations don't align with Trump's "Presidential Policy Priorities" then you could lose federal funding opportunities and your funding could be terminated at any time.
This proposed rule would undermine the independence of science and scientific integrity. Tell the Trump administration that we won't stand for politics in science.
This proposed rule would govern the grant-making process across the entire federal government, including the approximately $200 billion spent annually in research and development, as well as discretionary funding that comes through agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This rule is an escalation of the Trump administration's relentless attacks on science and evidence-based policymaking in every policy domain. We must be united in our rebuttal against the prioritization of ideology and politics above science and merit.
By replacing subject matter expertise with political loyalty, the Trump administration will further consolidate its power over the federal scientific enterprise and can re-direct it toward their own political agenda. We cannot let it stand.
Tell Trump's OMB that threatening its withdrawal and control of funds to coerce scientists and researchers into supporting its ideological agenda is harmful and wrong.
US federal research funding makes scientific and medical breakthroughs possible and improves the lives of all Americans. This rule will hinder innovation and stifle growth, pushing us ever further behind other countries in scientific advancements. It's another attack on scientific integrity and scientific independence that will come at the public's expense.
Submit a public comment on this proposed rule today if you agree that research funding should be awarded based on merit (not political loyalty); that funding shouldn't be contingent on the whims of a President and his "priorities" at the expense of innovation and the public good; and that funding shouldn’t be withheld from individual researchers, organizations, and institutions because their work is associated with one of the administration’s "prohibited topics."
Do not let the Trump administration get away with these attacks on science and scientific integrity. Public comments are the best way to voice your concerns about this proposed rule. The comment period closes on July 13, 2026.
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