The US Office of Management and Budget proposed a 400-page overhaul in May to place nearly $1 trillion in federal grant-making under the authority of political appointees, as reported by The Guardian.
The administrative shift follows previous cancellations of federal research grants concerning disparate impacts and gender during the spring of 2025.
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The new policy, now informally called "the OMB rule," drew approximately 500,000 public comments before the closing of its 45-day public feedback window.
The proposal restricts international scientific collaboration, bars diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and prohibits undefined anti-American values.
Out of the total affected funds, $150 billion is typically allocated toward science and technology fields, including the $47 billion budget of the National Institutes of Health.
Scientists and Experts React
Harvard School of Public Health professor Nancy Krieger spoke out against the proposal after her own $1 million research grant on discrimination was terminated by the National Institutes of Health.
"I’m like, what? What does this mean?
I don’t understand? My grant has another year in it.
I immediately reached out to the office that helps with grants to find out what was going on, and it led to a flurry of emails over the weekend – just trying to even find out what was happening.
It was complete shock and dismay," remarked Krieger, describing her initial reaction to the sudden cancellation.
The professor explained that the unexpected funding disruption forced her to balance academic duties with sudden litigation while attempting to manage dropping staff morale.
