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Science Policy Hub

The AAMC engages frequently with federal agencies on policies and regulations that impact the funding, conduct, and oversight of medical research at academic medical centers.

Issues We’re Watching

This section contains information on ongoing policy/regulation development, as well as forthcoming implementation deadlines. For additional in-depth coverage of policy topics, please refer to Science Policy Issues in the left-hand navigation.

Federal Grant Funding Updates

AAMC Data Briefs on NIH Funding and Grant Terminations 

The AAMC has been closely monitoring and analyzing the impact of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant terminations and overall decreases in new awards and funds flow to U.S. institutions.

Facilities & Administrative Costs

Funding Information from NIH: 

Federal Research-Related Litigation 

The AAMC is engaged in or closely following litigation on issues affecting federally funded biomedical research, including NIH grant terminations and indirect cost rates.

Access all Research-Related Litigation Updates

Policy Issues the AAMC is Monitoring 

Forthcoming Implementation Deadlines 

  • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is implementing multiple changes that will impact the preparation and peer review of most grant applications submitted to the agency due on or after Jan. 25, 2025.
  • The NIH public access policy will go into effect July 1, 2025. 
  • The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule revising the regulations governing Public Health Service Policies on Research Misconduct, which must be implemented through new institutional policies and procedures by Jan. 1, 2026. For more information, visit the HHS Office of Research Integrity.

Federal Scientific Leadership

  • HHS Secretary: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (confirmed 2/13/25)
  • NIH Director: Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD (confirmed 3/25/25)
  • FDA Commissioner: Martin Makary, MD, MPH (confirmed 3/25/25)
    • Director of FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER): George Tidmarsh, MD, PhD (appointed 7/21/25)
  • CDC Director: Susan Monarez, PhD (confirmed 7/29/25)
  • OSTP Director: Michael Kratsios (confirmed 3/25/25)
  • CMS Administrator: Mehmet Oz, MD (confirmed 4/3/25)
  • Surgeon General: Vacant (Casey Means, MD nominated on 5/7/25)

Take Action

This section contains engagement opportunities the AAMC has identified as important for the academic medical research enterprise. If you have questions about any of the items in this section, please reach out to us at researchpolicy@aamc.org.

Participate in the Rally for Medical Research

The AAMC is supporting the 2025 Rally for Medical Research and encourages researchers and research leaders to coordinate with their institutional Government Relations Representative and participate in Capitol Hill visits taking place on Sept. 18, 2025. The evening before, on Sept. 17, the Rally for Medical Research will host a reception on Capitol Hill to celebrate medical research with all partners and participants. The goal is to continue to call on the nation’s policymakers to make funding for NIH a national priority and raise awareness about the importance of continued investment in medical research. Take Action by registering to participate by Sept. 8.

Respond to the NIH RFI on Allowable Publication Costs 

On July 1, the NIH's new public access policy went into effect, requiring that manuscripts resulting from NIH-funded research be made available without embargo upon the date of publication. Now, the agency is revisiting the current policy on publication costs, which states that these costs “are allowable when they comport with the existing NIH cost principles.” As detailed in a request for information (RFI) released July 30, NIH is seeking input on a policy to limit the allowable publication expenses included in grant budgets, following an earlier statement citing “the growing prevalence of unreasonably high article processing charges” as the underlying reason for reviewing cost structures for open access. The RFI proposes several options, ranging from disallowing all publication costs to per-publication limits, with the goal of “balancing flexibility in providing research results with maximizing the use of taxpayer funds to support research.” Take Action by submitting feedback on the options in the RFI and their potential impact on sharing research results to the NIH by Sept. 15.

Share AAMC Abstract  with Your Colleagues

We invite you to help expand the reach of AAMC Abstract by sharing this link with your colleagues, societies, trainees and postdoctoral students, research administrators, or anyone interested in the creation or implementation of research policy. Anyone from this sector can subscribe to AAMC Abstract.

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Learn About the Comment Process

Public Engagement in the Federal Rulemaking Process

Federal agencies solicit feedback on proposed regulations, policies, and other programmatic activities through the "notice and comment" process, where draft documents are made available to the public for response. Typically, these notices are posted in the Federal Register, on the agency websites, or in official notices such as the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. Agencies may also use email listservs or social medial to reach broader audiences. The public typically has 30-60 days to provide written comments in response to the agency, who may also hold public meetings or listening sessions. Submitted responses to proposed regulations are typically placed in an online docket and can be accessed by the public. After the comment period ends, the agency reviews and considers the feedback submitted and generally concludes the process by publishing a final regulation, policy, or programmatic decision in the Federal Register or other official agency channels. Once a regulation is issued as a final rule it becomes "effective" meaning that the regulated community must come into compliance with its requirements.

How the AAMC Develops Science Policy Comment Letters

Comment letters are one essential step in the AAMC's efforts to inform the development of federal agency initiatives. The science policy team begins with a thorough review of proposed regulations, policies, or agency actions that affect the biomedical research mission in academic medicine. We identify comment opportunities where AAMC expertise can meaningfully add to agency deliberations and which could impact AAMC members' interests across the spectrum of research from fundamental discovery to clinical trials and population health research, particularly in areas of research conduct, training, grants, policy, and oversight. Engaging the AAMC constituent community is also a key part of this process. To gather input, we host community calls, conduct surveys, and maintain open lines of communication with key collaborators, including AAMC affinity groups and other organizations. Final comment letters are published on this webpage under Recent AAMC Comments and featured in AAMC Abstract and Washington Highlights, weekly newsletters for the AAMC community.

Are you aware of a comment opportunity that isn't mentioned on this page and want to know if AAMC will be responding? Reach out to us at researchpolicy@aamc.org.

Making Your Voice Heard at FDA
The Insider's Guide to Effective Commenting on NIH Policies
Brookings: How to Effectively Comment on Regulations (PDF)