Impacted Members/Scientists: Request a membership waiver, seek meeting support, and other resources. Learn more. For the latest public policy updates, please visit this page.
Submit Comments Urging Against Harmful Changes to Federal Grantmaking
On 29 May 2026, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a proposed rule titled Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance that alters how the government handles the management of grants and other forms of financial assistance. Among the many changes in this proposed rule, OMB proposes giving political appointees greater control over the grant selection process, expanding the authority of the government to terminate active grants if they do not align with Administration priorities, and placing significant restrictions on the use of federal funds to cover conference attendance and publishing costs. For a more detailed breakdown of what is in this proposed rule, please see our blog post.
If passed in its current form, this rule would create policies that would cause significant harm to the scientific community, research institutions, and professional societies — including the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and its approximately 9,000 members. It is up to all of us, as a scientific community and as individuals dedicated to the advancement of our field, to speak out against this proposed rule. Any interested party can submit a comment.
This Action Alert will help you easily submit a comment on this proposed rule. We have provided an example script to help you craft your message, but we highly encourage you to write more details about your concerns and/or any personal insights for how this proposed rule may affect you, your research group, and/or your institution. The strongest comments will be unique, cite specific section numbers (beginning each comment with the relevant section number in brackets, e.g., "[200.205]"), and address the following:
- How would you be harmed by the change? (If possible, use numbers to demonstrate the harm.)
- How certain is it that harm will take place?
- Did you make important life decisions based on the current rule?
- What scientific capabilities would be lost if international collaborations were terminated?
- What additional administrative burdens would this rule add in terms of time or money?
Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions before submiting your comment. Please note that any messages with crude or inflammatory language will not be passed on, and please be respectful during any communications with our federal agencies. (Messages should align with the AAS Mission and Vision Statement and AAS Code of Ethics.)
By submitting this form, you are filing a document into an official docket. Any personal information included in your comment text and/or uploaded attachment(s) may be publicly viewable on the web. You're submitting comments to: https://www.regulations.gov/document/OMB-2026-0034-0001
Regulations.gov terms of participation: https://www.regulations.gov/user-notice
Regulations.gov privacy notice: https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice