Near the end of May, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed a new rule that would fundamentally change how the federal government handles grants, particularly those funding scientific research in the US.
If formalized, this rule could make political priorities dominate funding decisions, sidelining expert opinions. Grants might be canceled based on fleeting whims, and bureaucratic layers could stifle essential activities such as publishing papers and attending conferences.
The deadline for public feedback is rapidly approaching—Monday, July 13. This proposal is perilous because it specifically dismisses peer review, grants political appointees the final say in funding, allows arbitrary cancellations, and bases decisions on vague 'national interest' criteria.
One might question whether these so-called improvements are really about transparency and accountability or merely a guise for politicizing science. The OMB claims to reduce recipient burden and ensure tax dollars aren’t wasted, but the risks to research integrity are significant.
