The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed sweeping changes to the federal rules that govern grants and other forms of federal financial assistance across the government. If finalized, the proposal could undermine the federal research system that supports lifesaving cancer discovery and brings new options to patients.

Although the proposal would reach federal grants across government, its consequences for cancer research could be especially serious. The proposed rule could weaken expert review, destabilize active grants, restrict essential scientific activities, create new barriers to collaboration, and inject uncertainty into a research system that depends on stability, merit, and trust. These changes could affect every stage of cancer research, from how studies are reviewed and funded to how discoveries are shared and carried forward to patients.

Congress needs to hear what this would mean from the people closest to the work.

Before the July 13 comment deadline, members of Congress need to understand how this proposal could affect the people and institutions they represent. Specific examples from constituents can make clear that these changes are not abstract. They could disrupt cancer research, create uncertainty for clinical trials, limit patient access to emerging treatments, and weaken the research infrastructure that drives medical progress in states and districts across the country.

Your message should be personal and specific. Please use the template below as a starting point, but do not send a generic message. Explain who you are, what work you do or whom you represent, and what could be delayed, narrowed, interrupted, or lost if the proposed rule is finalized.

You may wish to describe how the proposal could affect:

• Active or future federal research grants;
• Cancer clinical trials, including patient enrollment, continuity, data integrity, or access to investigational therapies;
• Early-career investigators, trainees, laboratory staff, or research teams;
• Publication of federally funded research findings;
• Access to scientific literature, journals, or research resources;
• Attendance at scientific meetings where researchers present findings, receive expert feedback, and build collaborations;
• International collaborations, shared datasets, specialized expertise, or research activities conducted outside the United States;
• Research examining differences in cancer incidence, diagnosis, treatment, survival, outcomes, or disease burden across patient populations;
• The ability of institutions in your state or district to plan, hire, retain talent, and sustain long-term research programs.

 

Please urge your members of Congress to press the Administration to withdraw or substantially revise the harmful provisions of the proposed rule. Members of Congress can also use the public comment process to put their concerns directly on the record before the July 13 deadline. By engaging now, Congress can help prevent further disruption to the federal research system and protect a merit-based process guided by scientific expertise.

By sharing your experience, you can help make the consequences clear before the rule moves forward.