Comment from Seán Kavanagh

[200.205, 200.340] To Whom it May Concern: I am an Assistant Professor in Energy Materials. I am writing in my personal capacity to oppose the proposed revisions to sections 200.205 and 200.340 that would undermine the integrity of federal grant review processes and federal science agencies' ability to identify and fund impactful research. Suddent termination of grants results in major turmoil which causes irreversible damage and productivity loss. Uncertainty is damaging and distracting, preventing scientists from focusing on their jobs. Scientific priorities can be guided by politics when needed (i.e. wartimes), but should be kept separate from politics as much as possible. Politicising science will further polarise US institutions, similar to how it has corrupted the judiciary system. I would say to political parties pushing this agenda; imagine what your worst political adversaries would do with this power, if/when elected in the future. This has recently caused major disruption in our research, with most of our top scientists and brightest minds leaving to Europe due to this uncertainty in US science. The US is the global leader in science but is shooting itself in the foot for no good reason. This rule threatens the integrity of the grant process and makes it vulnerable to future hijacking by nefarious actors. It is antithetical to science. Keep politics out of science. This rule would lead to more of the issues politicians bemoan about modern science (such as DEI initiatives), not less.