Overview
- The Office of Management and Budget released a 412-page draft rule on Thursday, May 28, and opened a 45-day public comment period for changes to the federal grants 'uniform guidance'.
- The proposal requires designated senior political appointees to review and sign off on discretionary awards, making traditional scientific peer review an advisory step rather than the decisive approval mechanism.
- New eligibility and compliance rules would require use of DHS’s E-Verify, mandate English-language grant announcements, use the Treasury 'Do Not Pay' registry, and bar grants that promote DEI, what the administration calls 'gender ideology', certain climate priorities, or voter-registration and advocacy activities.
- The draft formalizes processes to suspend or terminate grants that do not align with presidential priorities, speeds referral of fraud allegations to inspectors general and the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., within 10 days, and seeks to cover awards made late in the previous administration.
- Universities, scientific societies and legal analysts are already combing the text and preparing comments and likely court challenges, warning the changes could politicize research funding, slow approvals, and affect collaborations, publication support, and state-run programs.