Leadership Now Comments on OMB Proposed Rule
Leadership Now submitted a public comment in response to an Office of Management and Budget proposed rule to regulate federal grantmaking and research funding (“Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance” (OMB-2026-0034)).
We expressed concern about vague and overbroad provisions in the rule that could undermine America’s research and innovation ecosystem. Specifically, we proposed striking or narrowing provisions that would give political appointees latitude to override peer review and terminate awards based on vague criteria. The proposed rule could chill legitimate research and speech and expose universities and hospitals to significant financial risk.
Since its release in May, OMB’s proposed rule has elicited approximately hundreds of thousands of public comments, with most expressing opposition.
