The AAMC on July 10 submitted comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (PDF) on a proposed rule to revise the Uniform Guidance, a set of regulations that govern federal financial assistance awards and sponsored research programs. The proposal represents a significant update to 2 CFR Part 200, which serves as the primary regulatory framework for federal awards distributed to research universities, nonprofits, and other recipients.
In its letter, the AAMC urged the OMB to rescind this proposal in its entirety, writing that it “fail[s] to demonstrate how the revisions would meaningfully improve the current system for the awarding, oversight, and management of federal financial assistance, and in fact, would introduce ambiguity and instability into processes on which recipients and the American public currently rely.”
The comments enumerate concerns with many proposed provisions, including expanded agency discretion in grant terminations, the role of political appointees in award selection, restrictions on international scientific collaboration, and prohibitions on using federal funds for publication costs or conference attendance.
The AAMC is encouraging institutions to weigh in on the proposal. Further information on the proposed rule and commenting process is available on the OMB Proposed Rule to Revise the Uniform Guidance page.