Proposed new US funding rules: We can cancel any grant at any time

OMB proposes federal rules allowing cancellation of any grant at any time, replacing peer review with political appointee discretion.

The Trump administration's Office of Management and Budget is formalizing an executive order through federal rulemaking that would subordinate peer review in grant decisions to political appointee discretion and vague "national interest" standards. Agencies could cancel grants at any time without stated cause. The rules would ban funding for research on disparate impact, gender studies, DEI initiatives, and collaborations with Chinese researchers. International collaborations generally would require justification under a "domestic-first framework." Publication costs and conference travel would require case-by-case agency approval. The document cites culture war concerns, including criticism of PEPFAR as promoting "abortion and gender ideology." The formal rulemaking process is now open for public comment.