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24 September 2025
More Than 50 Scientific Societies Issue Letter to Congress Expressing Concerns Regarding Executive Order on Federal Grantmaking
A coalition of more than 50 scientific societies issued a letter to the United States Congress today, expressing concerns over provisions in the 7 August 2025 Executive Order (EO) titled “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking.” The letter urges Congress to provide necessary oversight at federal science agencies to prevent potentially significant damage to US leadership in scientific and medical research.
The US federal grantmaking ecosystem serves as the gold standard for supporting cutting-edge research and driving technological innovation worldwide. While ongoing evaluation and oversight of this ecosystem contribute to its effectiveness, the directives within the EO raise questions regarding the possibility of politicization in federally funded research.
The letter urges Congress to take action to safeguard the integrity of the independent, merit-based peer-review system. It also raises concerns over the expansion of “termination for convenience” authority, and the many inefficiencies introduced in the grantmaking process by requiring grant recipients to provide written explanations for each drawdown of funds. Finally, the letter supports the EO’s goal of ensuring that grants are given to a broad range of recipients but raises questions over how “repeat players” will be determined.
The letter is addressed to congressional leadership, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The letter was also sent to the congressional committees with oversight of federal science agencies.
The full text of the letter and the list of signatories can be found here:
Letter addressed to congressional leadership regarding 7 August 2025 Executive Order (PDF)
Update on 1 October, 2025: Five additional organizations have joined the signatory list. The letter with the updated signatory list can be found here:
Organizations interested in joining the letter are invited to contact the American Astronomical Society’s Deputy Director of Public Policy, Roohi Dalal, at [email protected].
Contacts
About the AAS
The American Astronomical Society (AAS), established in 1899, is a major international organization of professional astronomers, astronomy educators, and amateur astronomers. Its membership of approximately 8,000 also includes physicists, geologists, engineers, and others whose interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising the astronomical sciences. The mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe as a diverse and inclusive astronomical community, which it achieves through publishing, meetings, science advocacy, education and outreach, and training and professional development.