Protect the science-driven process for advancing American research

On May 29, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed sweeping revisions to the federal government’s overarching framework for administering grants and other federal assistance. The proposal would revise longstanding guidance to federal agencies, known as the Uniform Guidance, into a set of binding regulations that would dictate how all funding and management decisions are made for federal awards including research grants. The AAMC is concerned about the impact of these proposed regulations on the academic medicine community and on the predictability and stability of research nationally.

Why it matters: The revisions could reduce the role of expert scientific review in funding decisions and give greater weight to politically motivated factors, undermining the merit-based review system that has made the U.S. a global research leader.

While implementing this change could be problematic, the rule also seeks to:

• Allow the sudden termination of any grant based on considerations unrelated to the scientific progress of the research with limited opportunity to appeal;
• Curtail international collaboration;
  Require applicants’ affiliations with social or political groups to be scrutinized;
• Prohibit the use of grant awards to support the dissemination of information through publications and conferences; and
• Codify in regulation specific policy or ideological priorities.

The stakes: The proposed change to federal grant rules could give political considerations greater weight over funding and grant continuation decisions that have historically relied on scientific expert review, raising questions about the future independence of research and innovation funding. Research leaders worry that increasing political involvement in grant decisions – including terminations of grants or whole classes of grants across the federal government based on a poorly defined standard of political determination of the national interest – could undermine confidence that awards are being made based on expertise, scientific merit, and public need. 

What you can do:
Stakeholders have an opportunity to weigh in during the public comment period. Public comments remain one of the most important tools available to stakeholders because agencies are required to consider and respond to significant issues raised during the rulemaking process. A robust comment record can shape agency decisions.

Submit your comment by July 13 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The OMB plans to finalize the rule and issue it with an effective date of October 1, 2026.

Tips for writing an effective comment:

• Include enough information about your research and career to provide context for your comment, especially if you are submitting the comment anonymously. Why does this matter to you and what is your experience, insight, or expertise in federal grants? 
• Explain how changes to the uniform guidance could impact your own research, including what the prospect of sudden termination without opportunity to appeal has on your willingness or enthusiasm to seek federal funding. 
• Share how the changes could close doors on promising areas of research, have a chilling effect on scientists who might think their research would be disfavored because of the language in the rule, curtail critical international collaborations, or impede the development of the next generation of scientists.
• Do not worry about addressing every provision of the rule to have an effective comment. Any information you provide will be useful.
• Link your comments to specific provisions that are of concern to you to ensure that your comment is considered with others addressing that provision. If you are referencing a specific provision, begin that paragraph with the relevant section number in brackets. For example; if the comment is on 2 CFR 200.414, include the following before the comment [200.414].
• Remember that all submitted comments become publicly available. When completing the form on Regulations.gov, select “individual” or “anonymous” in the Comment Category section. (If you are commenting in your individual capacity, do not select “on behalf of an organization” even if you work at an organization.) 

Deadline reminder: Comments are due by July 13 at 11:59 p.m. ET.