Comment from Anonymous
Anonymous AnonymousOpposeAcademic
Summary: An assistant professor of marine science opposes the proposed revisions to federal financial assistance regulations, arguing that they would allow political interference in the grant review process. The commenter highlights how such changes could jeopardize climate change research, lead to job losses for research assistants and students, and waste already invested funds.
[200.202, 200.205, 200.340]
I am an assistant professor of marine science.
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.
One of my grants looks at how climate change affects how shellfish grow and survive. Our results will help shellfish farmers make decisions about where to buy their seed from and when to take them out of the water to protect them from stress. This directly impacts the health of small businesses and local communities that we all want to support. Farmers I talk to WANT this information. They see changes happening on their farms and know they have to adapt to climate change in order to survive as a business. But because my grant has the word climate change in it, it might be canceled due to politics.
Grants employ people and contribute to the economy. I pay two research assistants on my grant. They pay rent, they buy groceries, they own cars, etc. If the grant were suddenly canceled, I would have to fire them. They would be unemployed, potentially costing the government more money if they file for unemployment. I also employ undergraduate students on these grants. In many cases, these students are first generation and are going to college to help their family pursue the American dream. Paying them to do research opens doors for them and allows them to participate in something they couldn't if it were unpaid. A sudden grant cancellation would also be a huge waste of money because the project would stop so all the money that we'd spent already would be a waste.
Science needs to function independently of politics. I would not be able to run my lab, to hire research assistants, to contribute to the economy, to hire people, if this provision goes through. Politicians are not the ones who should be reviewing grants. They are not experts and should not get to decide what is scientifically important. I urge OMB not to finalize this rule.