Proposed OMB Rule Could Undermine Federal Grantmaking
The Society for Neuroscience is deeply concerned by the Office of Management and Budget's proposed rule, Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance (Document OMB-2026-0034). For decades, federally funded scientific research has advanced our understanding of the brain, improved treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders, strengthened the U.S. leadership of the scientific enterprise, and enhanced the health and well-being of people across the United States and worldwide. These advances have been made possible by a research funding system grounded in scientific merit and expert peer review.
The proposed rule raises significant concerns about the introduction of broad political and ideological considerations into federal funding decisions. Policies that undermine merit-based review or create uncertainty in the research funding process risk slowing scientific progress and delaying discoveries that patients and families are counting on.
SfN will continue to engage with policymakers and coalition partners and will provide members with opportunities for engagement and resources in the coming weeks.
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The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is an organization of nearly 30,000 basic scientists and clinicians who study the brain and the nervous system.
