Tell Congress How the OMB Proposed Rule Would Impact Research and Science

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is proposing sweeping changes to the federal regulations that govern grants and other forms of federal financial assistance. If finalized, these changes will significantly affect how universities, medical centers, research institutes, and scientific organizations receive and manage federal research funding, including by:

Usurping the role of independent, expert peer review in funding decisions.
Increasing political influence over which research projects receive federal support.
Limiting collaboration with colleagues across institutions and around the world.
Creating barriers to publishing and disseminating research findings that are critical to scientific progress.
Making it more difficult to participate in scientific conferences, where researchers share novel findings, establish collaborations, and receive feedback on their work.

During the public comment period, ASHG joined nearly 500,000 commenters in urging OMB to reconsider these proposals, highlighting how these changes are detrimental to the research enterprise. Now, Congress needs to hear directly from you so that lawmakers can exercise their oversight and legislative authority to prevent implementation of these changes and protect the independence of federally funded scientific research.

Tell your Members of Congress why withdrawing this proposed rule is important and how they can help:

Enforce Congress’s constitutional authority over federal spending by ensuring research funding priorities remain aligned with congressional appropriations and oversight.
Prevent an adverse impact on your ability to communicate, collaborate, share data, publish findings, and engage openly with the global scientific community.
Safeguard the integrity of federal research funding by maintaining independent, expert peer review and awarding funds based on scientific excellence and merit.
Protect the stability of the research enterprise to sustain jobs, attract federal and private investment, strengthen local economies, and ensure scientific discoveries continue to improve the lives of patients and families in your community.

Personal stories and local examples are especially valuable. As a reference, here are ASHG's formal comments in response to the proposed rule.

Current Actions

Tell Congress How the OMB Proposed Rule Would Impact Research and Science