OMB Proposal Could Politicize Scientific Funding
Near the end of May, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed a new rule that would govern how the federal government handles the grants it issues, including those that fund the vast majority of scientific research in the US.
If formalized, the rule would make political priorities the prime determinant of what science gets funded and sideline the opinions of scientific experts. Grants could be canceled due to political whims, and new layers of bureaucracy would inhibit basic scientific activities like publishing papers and attending conferences.
The deadline for public feedback on the proposal is Monday, July 13.
Why This Matters
The OMB justifies these changes as an effort to ‘improve transparency, accountability, and oversight’ and ‘reduce recipient burden.’ But critics argue that the rule would undermine the scientific peer review process and politicize research funding.
