Duke's Response to OMB Proposed Rule Changes

To the Duke community:

Duke’s robust research enterprise is built on a long-running partnership with the federal government that has fueled advances in knowledge, breakthrough discoveries, and innovations that improve Americans’ health and quality of life. Despite recent shifts in policy, federal funding remains the bedrock of support for researchers and trainees at Duke.

On May 29, the Office of Management and Budget proposed sweeping changes to the framework that guides how federal grants are awarded and administered. We believe that these proposed revisions could weaken merit-based scientific decision-making, destabilize multi-year research commitments, restrict the dissemination of research that is necessary to aid translation and societal impact, diminish international and community-based collaboration, and increase costs without clear corresponding benefits. 

Earlier this week, together with research colleagues from across the university, we submitted comments to OMB detailing our concerns. We invite you to read our response here. In this effort, Duke joins tens of thousands of researchers, universities, and higher education organizations that have submitted comments warning of the potentially significant impact of this regulation. 

Duke is committed to the responsible stewardship of federal funds, transparency, accountability, and research security. But we are concerned that the proposed rule would not achieve the stated aims, and we have urged OMB to withdraw or substantially modify it. We will continue to monitor the proposed changes and provide updates to the research community as they develop. 

Thank you for everything you do to ensure that Duke remains a vibrant home for inquiry and discovery.

Alec D. Gallimore, Ph.D.
Provost and Alfred J. Hooks E ’68 Distinguished Professor 

Jennifer Lodge, Ph.D. 
Vice President for Research & Innovation and John Strohbehn University Distinguished Professor