A sweeping overhaul of federal grant rules proposed by the Office of Management and Budget is facing significant opposition from education research organizations. The proposal, released on May 29, would revise grant issuance and oversight procedures for agencies including the Department of Education and National Science Foundation. The administration states the changes aim to strengthen accountability and transparency of taxpayer-funded grants, with implementation targeted for Oct. 1.
Education researchers submitted letters on July 13, the deadline for public comment, raising concerns about multiple provisions. A primary worry involves language restricting funding for what the administration terms “unlawful diversity, equity and inclusion” activities and “disparate impact studies” that examine whether neutral policies produce different outcomes for different demographic groups. Researchers argue this could effectively ban investigations into whether educational interventions help some students more than others, or whether discipline policies affect students of color disproportionately. They note such research is central to education policy and point to conflicts with existing federal programs like Title I, which explicitly requires demographic analysis of student outcomes.
Additional concerns focus on increased political involvement in grant decisions. The proposal would require agencies to consider alignment with federal priorities and undefined concepts of “national interest,” with political appointees reviewing all grants before issuance. This could reduce the role of independent scientific review by subject matter experts. Researchers also object to preferences for low-overhead proposals, restrictions on conference attendance and publication costs, and undefined standards for “gold standard science” that could favor certain research methodologies over others.
Education researchers emphasize that significant scientific progress requires long-term investment. The science of reading movement, for example, developed over decades through federally supported interdisciplinary research. The proposal’s emphasis on immediate results could discourage pursuit of foundational questions. Researchers also raised concerns about consequences of suspending or terminating ongoing studies, particularly longitudinal research where data collection interruptions could permanently damage study value. Past terminations had significant ripple effects; when the Department of Education ended dozens of studies in 2025, approximately 1,600 high schoolers with disabilities lost services.
Three major education organizations—the National Academy of Education, the American Educational Research Association, and the Knowledge Alliance—submitted formal objections, with the National Academy’s letter signed by 19 additional education and science organizations. The OMB proposal has drawn opposition from research communities across multiple fields, receiving nearly 500,000 public comments. OMB has not responded to the specific objections raised by education researchers.
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