The Trump administration issued an executive order last week that directs federal agency heads to designate a senior political appointee who will be responsible for overseeing new funding opportunity announcements and reviewing discretionary grants “to ensure that they are consistent with agency priorities and the national interest.”
The order goes on to state that nothing “shall be construed to discourage or prevent the use of peer review methods… provided that peer review recommendations remain advisory and are not ministerially ratified, routinely deferred to or otherwise treated as de facto binding by senior appointees or their designees.”
According to the order, senior appointees and their designees should use their independent judgement and apply certain principles when assessing grant proposals, including whether an award would “demonstrably advance the President’s policy priorities.”
The order also states that discretionary awards should not be used to fund activities that promote “racial preferences,” illegal immigration, denying that sex is binary or “any other initiatives that compromise public safety or promote anti-American values.”
The Offices of the Vice President for Research and Vice President for Government Relations are monitoring this situation closely and will share any additional relevant guidance when it is available.
Executive order introduces new federal grant review process
