Comment from Douglas Kelley
Douglas KelleyOpposeAcademic
Summary: A professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Rochester opposes the proposed regulation, arguing it would harm scientific research and innovation. The commenter specifically criticizes the lack of clear definitions for "Gold Standard Science," the potential for arbitrary grant termination, and restrictions on publication costs, conference attendance, and international collaboration.
The proposed regulation OMB-2026-0034 has major flaws that would badly damage American scientific research and development, making our country less prosperous, less secure, and less healthy. I oppose this regulation. It should not require compliance with "Gold Standard Science," an undefined term which appears to be a vapid euphemism for the political whims of the Trump administration. It should not allow grants to be terminated without cause or an appeals process because fear of termination will make scientists far less innovative. It should not prohibit publication costs because those costs often make results publicly available, and taxpayers deserve to have access to the results they funded. It should not require pre-approval for conference attendance because serendipitous discoveries often lead researchers to important topics in new fields and because many conferences are not planned far enough in advance to accommodate the slow process of proposal review. And it should not prohibit international collaboration because many discoveries that greatly benefit America come through collaboration with colleagues elsewhere. I am a practicing scientist, serving as Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester. I have published more than 75 peer-reviewed papers, cited more than 5000 times, giving me an h-index of 33.