My Hobby and Interest - Research

 Science Magazine White House seeks to tighten political oversight of grantmaking Sweeping proposed rule, now open for comments, would also restrict foreign collaborations and remove federal funding for open-access fees 29 MAY 2026 6:10 PM ET BY JEFFREY MERVIS The White House today announced it plans to make major changes in how the U.S. government manages research funding. Some scientists are horrified, saying the proposal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) would replace peer review with the judgment of nonexpert political appointees sworn to carry out the wishes of President Donald Trump. Others see a silver lining in the  412-page document  because it preserves, for now, how universities are reimbursed for indirect costs, the billions of dollars they spend each year to support federally funded research on their campuses. It’s too early to know how grantmaking will ultimately be changed by the proposed rule, which codifies many Trump executive orders relatin...

Thanks to Carolyn Elliott-Farino for this contribution!   New OMB Rule Now Open for Public Comment We've just learned that the science-killing OMB-proposed rule to politicize and privatize America's federal investment in science is   NOW OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.   Please take 5 minutes to post your personalized public comment here !    Your personalized comments create a body of critical evidence for legal action should OMB ignore our commentary.  Crucially, these comments help Congress understand  why  the proposed regulations are harmful to ALL Americans  —  because all 350 million of us each day reap the enduring benefits of the federal investment in science.   The open public comment period extends to July 13th and  SUFS is leading the charge to gather 10,000+ comments. If we have any hope of reaching this historic level of public comments we need your help NOW to create and sustain momentum.   So visit our Fight2Win c...

 Thanks to Carolyn Elliott-Farino for this contribution! Dear Friend,   As engaged science activists, you likely were as alarmed as we were to see the news yesterday afternoon when OMB's Russell Vought released Trump’s proposed rule -"Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance."   This move represents the administration’s most brazen attempt yet to politicize all federal science funding decisions and  we cannot let it stand !   Even the  mainstream press  calls this for what it is:  Project 2025 lead architect Vought’s take-over bid for all funding of American science.   Our policy team here at SUFS read the 412 page document and it’s even worse than we initially feared in its devastating implications for the future of independent science.   We are resolved to shut this rule down and are convening an  Emergency Science Meeting this coming Tuesday at 4pm ET .   During this interactive session - which like all SUFS virtual ...

  Release the Forecasts These Funding Opportunities Are Ready to Go. NIH Is Holding Them Back by Elizabeth Ginexi Every funding opportunity described in the table linked below has been written. The science has been scoped, the eligibility requirements defined, the review criteria set. NIH scientific program and review officers did that work. They are ready to invite applications. Researchers are ready to apply. These are not hypothetical programs waiting to be designed. They are fully developed Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) forecasts sitting in a grants.gov queue, waiting for one thing: permission to be released. Every program on this list has been supported or directed by Congress, through appropriations bill language, statutory set-asides, or sustained committee report directives over multiple fiscal years. Some carry mandatory funding floors that are legally non-discretionary. All of them represent research areas Congress has explicitly said matter: opioid use disorder, ...

 The Scientist NIH Review of Embryonic Stem Cell Research Sparks Alarm Among Scientists As the agency evaluates the utility of human embryonic stem cells in research, scientists warn that restricting the cells could slow discoveries and impede clinical trials. Written by Sneha Khedkar arlier this year, in line with its aim to assess research areas ripe for modernization, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it is reviewing the scientific utility of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in research. To this end, the agency released a Request for Information (RFI), inviting comments from the public about in vitro platforms that could reduce or replace the use of hESCs in research. As it sought this input, NIH paused review and approval of new hESC lines to be added to its registry, which lists cell lines that scientists can use in NIH-supported research. During the recently concluded comment period, many scientists and organizations such as the Federation of American ...