American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) shared on LinkedIn:
“In this edition, AACR Leaders explain how the OMB’s proposed changes to federal funding processes will undermine research-driven advances in the United States if implemented. Contact your Members of Congress to share your concerns about the OMB’s proposed sweeping changes to the federal rules that govern grants and threaten to undermine the support that powers lifesaving cancer discovery and brings new options to patients.
Why You Should Contact Your Congressional Representative About OMB’s Proposed Changes to Federal Funding
Should scientific experts or politicians determine if research is funded by the federal government?
That question is at the heart of a proposed new set of regulations by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
‘Scientific innovation thrives when driven by objective data rather than political agendas’
said former AACR President Elizabeth M. Jaffee, deputy director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.
‘The United States continues to lead the world in new medical discoveries because it is free from political bias.’
The OMB proposal, titled ‘Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance,’ would grant political appointees expanded power to override the expert assessment of scientists and deny or revoke funding if projects do not align with the administration’s priorities.
That potential change, however, is only one aspect of the 400-plus-page proposal that would alter numerous processes behind how federal grants are awarded and managed. Since this proposal was announced on May 29, organizations and individuals throughout the scientific community have expressed concerns about its potential impact on American innovation and medical breakthroughs.
For this special edition of Cancer Research Catalyst, we asked researchers to help the public understand why certain provisions could be so damaging to scientific advancement in the United States, including the political review by appointed officials, restrictions on international partnerships, and limits on the use of federal funds to support scientific publications, journal subscriptions, and attendance at scientific conferences.
In addition to Jaffe, AACR President-Elect Robert H. Vonderheide, director of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania; Kornelia Polyak, professor of medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School; Cornelia Ulrich, chief scientific officer and executive director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Huntsman Cancer Institute; Electra D. Paskett, director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control in the College of Medicine at The Ohio State University; and Anna Barker, chief strategy officer of the Ellison Medical Institute, all shared how these changes will undermine U.S. scientific and medical innovation.
Read the full postto learn more about their concerns and why it is important to contact your congressional representatives to express your own concerns about the proposal.
For more about the OMB proposal:
- Today, AACR submitted final comments in response to the proposed OMB rules. Submit your comments before the proposed changes close at 11:59 p.m. Monday, July 13
- Read AACR’s statement, which calls the proposal ‘A major threat to the National Institutes of Health.’
- Contact your congressional representativesto request that they exercise their authority to prevent the implementation of these changes.
Other articles about AACR on OncoDaily.