STM joins coalition calling on Congress to protect federal grantmaking

STM has joined nearly 120 organisations calling on Congress to address concerns that federal agencies are moving ahead with elements of the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed changes to federal grantmaking, despite Congress having temporarily blocked implementation of the proposed rule.

The broad-based coalition brings together organisations spanning research, education, healthcare, housing, local government and community services, united in their concern that federal funding should remain stable, predictable, and protected from political influence. STM has previously warned that the proposed OMB changes risk undermining independent expert review and introducing greater political influence into federal research funding.

The letter points to actions by several federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutions of Health, and NASA, that the coalition says reflect the direction of the OMB proposals. Taken together, the coalition argues that these actions risk circumventing Congress’s decision to pause the government-wide reforms. The letter calls on Congress to strengthen oversight of these actions and to preserve protections against implementation of the proposed changes in future funding legislation.