Proposed regulations would give federal administration officials greater control over billions of dollars in federal grants. The rules would codify authority to cancel thousands of grants and block new grants when they do not align with presidential priorities. A formal pre-issuance review process would require agencies to ensure award proposals are consistent with applicable law, agency priorities, and the national interest. Agency heads would designate senior appointees to review all discretionary awards, including research grants. The changes are intended to reduce legal vulnerability after prior challenges. The rules would allow grantees out of alignment to be suspended or terminated, affecting universities receiving NIH, NSF, and other federal funding.
"“Federal agencies must perform pre-issuance reviews to ensure that federal award proposals selected for funding are consistent with applicable law, federal agency priorities, and the national interest,” the proposed regulations say, adding that “federal agencies heads [ sic] must designate one or more senior appointees” to review “all discretionary awards.”"
"The proposed rules would set up a process for this political review, possibly helping insulate it from legal challenges that stymied the administration in the past. Among many other changes, the rules direct “senior appointees” at federal agencies to take charge of awarding and terminating new and existing research grants and other federal awards-a change that reflects an August executive order."
"The White House Office of Management and Budget told Inside Higher Ed the changes would allow the administration to curtail grants unaligned with Trump's EOs and policies, adding that “grantees out of alignment may now be suspended or terminated.” Those grantees include universities whose researchers receive National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and other federal agency grants."
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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