Scientific Community Responds in Force to OMB Proposed Rule

More than 340,000 public comments have been submitted in response to the proposed rule, Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance, that seeks to make major changes to the Uniform Guidance governing federal financial assistance, including federal research grants. The deadline for comments was July 13. Organizations and individuals used their comments to register deep concerns about the proposed changes and their potential impacts on the U.S. research enterprise and our diminishing global competitiveness. COSSA’s comments, which have not yet been posted officially to regulations.gov, is available here.

According to the proposed rule, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) set an implementation date of October 1, 2026, leaving just a few months for staff to review all submitted public comment and issue a final rule. However, Democrats in both the House and Senate have come out in strong opposition to the rule, calling on OMB to withdraw it in its entirety. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) has also recently expressed concern with the rule and asked OMB to extend the comment period by 90 days.