Comment from Ralph Schmeltz

I urge the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to withdraw its proposed revisions to the Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance, Regulating Codifying Policies on Federal Financial Assistance, Revisions to 2 CFR 91 Fed. Reg. 32198. I am a physician with XXX experience [PERSONALIZE TO YOUR BACKGROUND, consider including your medical specialty, as well as any personal stories on why this issue is important to you.] The proposed rule would allow political appointees to override the recommendations of scientific experts when making federal research funding decisions and withdraw support for ongoing grants without review by federal agency scientific committees. These changes could undermine the peer-review process that has long ensured federal research funding is awarded based on scientific merit and expert review. I am also concerned that the proposal would restrict the use of federal research funds for publication charges, journal subscriptions, and other costs associated with scholarly publishing. These restrictions could impede the dissemination of federally funded research, limit the publication of research, and weaken access to scientific literature relied upon by physicians, researchers, and health systems. Medical research benefits patients and populations only when new findings can be shared with physicians and incorporated into clinical practice. By making it harder to publish and access scientific research, the proposed rule could delay the use of new evidence to improve patient care and public health. I urge OMB to withdraw the proposed revisions to the Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance and preserve policies that support research access and ensure that federal funding decisions remain grounded in science and expert review.