July 2026
AERA submitted comments urging the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to withdraw its proposed Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance.
The proposal would revise the Uniform Guidance governing federal grantmaking and make significant changes affecting federally funded research. Among other provisions, it would expand political review of grant proposals, require alignment with undefined "Gold Standard Science" principles, prohibit federal funding for “disparate impact studies,” expand agencies’ authority to terminate grants while limiting opportunities for appeal, and restrict the use of federal funds for research dissemination activities, including conferences and public access publication costs.
In the comments, AERA Executive Director Tabbye Chavous warned the proposal “would compromise the objectivity of federal research review, chill research that federal statute requires, and increase risk and uncertainty for current and future federal grant recipients.”
AERA also expressed concern that the proposal would increase administrative and financial burdens on research institutions, undermine longstanding research partnerships with school and communities, disrupt access to evidence-based practices for teaching and learning, and create uncertainty through undefined terms such as “Gold Standard Science,” “DEI(A),” “disparate impact studies,” and the “national interest.”
In addition to submitting its own comments, AERA joined the National Academy of Education in leading a letter signed by 20 institutions urging OMB to withdraw the proposed rule, arguing that several provisions conflict with current law governing federally authorized education research.
In June, Chavous encouraged AERA members to submit comments on the proposal.
“We are grateful to the AERA community and the broader education research field for speaking out about the far-reaching consequences these provisions would have for education research,” said Chavous. “We encourage everyone who submitted comments to continue their advocacy and engage with their members of Congress to explain why this rule should be withdrawn.”
Concerns about the proposal have also been raised on Capitol Hill. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged OMB Director Russell Vought to withdraw portions of the proposed rule and extend the public comment period. Senate Democrats also called for the proposal to be withdrawn.
The proposed rule is intended to implement several Executive Orders issued by the Trump administration over the past year, including: