The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently released a proposed rule titled Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance. By expanding OMB’s administrative authority, this proposal applies to every federal department and agency and is a sweeping departure from decades of best practices in federal grantmaking and federal assistance. SGO, along with others in the medical and scientific community, are extremely concerned about the negative impact this proposal will have on federal research and public health programs.
Provisions of particular interest to the SGO members and their patients include:
- Expanded agency discretion in funding decisions, sidelining peer and merit review;
- Expanded ability by the administration to terminate grants;
- Changes to allowable, unallowable, and indirect costs;
- Restrictions on international collaboration;
- Elimination of fixed amount awards and subawards; and
- Restrictions on public communication and journal publication.
A full summary of the proposal is available here.
SGO is concerned that these changes will have significant implications for NIH-funded investigators, academic medical centers, trainees, and most of all, patients who are waiting for effective therapies and guidance driven primarily from treatment advances in gynecologic cancers. The proposed rule is open for public comment through July 13, 2026, and is slated for implementation on October 1, 2026.
SGO’s Response
SGO is closely monitoring the proposed rule and working with partners across the medical and scientific community to oppose the proposal and communicate its consequences for gynecologic oncology research, clinical care, and patients.
Additionally, SGO is preparing to mobilize members for targeted advocacy efforts during the public comment period.