On May 27, 2026, the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a proposed rule that would significantly reshape how federal research grants are administered. If approved, impact will be government-wide, including the National Institutes of Health, and other divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services (CDC, FDA, ARPA-H, SAMHSA), the National Science Foundation, along with more than 40 other agencies.

Key provisions of concern to researchers include:

• Requires agencies to designate senior political appointees to conduct pre-issuance reviews of discretionary grant awards with peer review becoming advisory only
• Conference attendance, memberships, and publication fees would be unallowable unless specifically pre-approved in the award
• Expanded agency authority to suspend or terminate awards (and classes of awards) mid-stream, including for convenience
• Restrictions on federally funded international collaborations with certain countries
• A compressed effective date of October 1, 2026

ASCPT will be submitting organizational comments on behalf of our members. But individual voices matter — OMB gives greater weight to tailored responses reflecting real-world experience. We strongly encourage you to review the full proposed rule and consider submitting your own comments based on your experience as a researcher, award recipient, trainee, and/or the impact to your institution.

Noting that templated letters are discouraged, consider emphasizing key themes with personalized data such as the following:

• Importance of peer review of grants by subject matter experts
• Emphasize the importance of clinical pharmacology in drug development and clinical trials. Every new medicine depends on decades of federally supported scientific research.
• Harm caused to patients by interruptions/cancellations of clinical trials
• Role that scientific exchange through attendance at scientific societies like ASCPT plays in the development of research findings.
• Conferences and professional memberships are not extra benefits, they help researchers stay current, build collaborations, and translate research into practice. This is especially important for trainees and early career scientists.
• Publications that provide broad public access to science accelerate scientific progress, inform clinical practice, support regulatory decision-making, and reduce unnecessary duplication of research.

To submit comments before the July 13, 2026, 11:59 PM EST deadline:

1. Submit comments through the Federal rulemaking portal at Regulations.gov: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance?
2. Docket ID: OMB-2026-0034
3. Click "Submit a Public Comment" and enter your response (up to 5,000 characters, or upload a PDF attachment, which is the recommended option)
4. Begin each comment with the relevant section number in brackets (e.g., [200.340]) so that it is routed to the correct provision
5. Retain a copy of your comments
6. After submission, commenters may opt to receive an email confirmation and tracking number
7. All submitted comments are public and will be posted online after agency review

Additional information, FAQs, and step-by-step guidance on submitting comments can be found on the Research!America website: https://www.researchamerica.org/omb-proposed-federal-grant-rule/.

Be sure to check with your institution for any policies or approval process before submitting comments. Comments may be submitted by individuals, institutions, or anonymously.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this request. With significant disruption to federal grant administration on the horizon, your voice has never been more important.

Sincerely,

Kristin Bigos, PhD
ASCPT President

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