The American Association for Cancer Research has called the proposed federal grant regulations published May 29 by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget “reckless” and a “major threat” to the National Institutes of Health.
“The intention of these proposed revisions is to improve transparency, accountability and oversight of federal awards while reducing administrative burden and ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources,” AACR said in a June 30 news release. “While AACR shares these goals and supports efforts to strengthen the effectiveness, integrity and accountability of federal grant programs, a significant number of the provisions in this proposal would in fact increase administrative complexity, create uncertainty for grant recipients, reduce transparency in funding decisions and undermine the merit-based processes that have effectively guided federal research investments.”
Here are five concerns raised by AACR:
- The OMB proposal expands the power of politically appointed officials — who are unlikely to have subject-matter expertise — to review every federal research funding decision and reject proposals that do not align with the administration’s political priorities, regardless of scientific merit.
- AACR flagged language that would give agencies expanded authority to suspend or terminate awards, including multiyear grants already underway, if the research no longer aligns with political priorities.
- Restrictions on international partnerships would hinder cancer research, which often relies on global data sharing, clinical trial networks and specialized expertise.
- Language in the proposal could be interpreted to restrict research into cancer disparities, access to care and outcome differences across patient populations.
- Limits on support for scientific publications, journal subscriptions and conference attendance would hinder researchers’ ability to share discoveries, stay current on emerging research and build collaborations.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science called the proposal a “brazen power grab by the director of the Office of Management and Budget” in a June 2 statement. Meanwhile One Voice Against Cancer — a group of more than 50 public health organizations — said the regulations would “weaken the vital research missions of the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
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