The University of Washington has submitted a formal letter expressing concerns and opposition to the White House Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed changes to the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance (also known as the Uniform Guidance). The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities has summarized the proposed changes. We appreciate the many responses from the UW community that helped shape our formal comment.
As a public research university, the UW strongly supports financial stewardship, transparency and efficiency in administration. Unfortunately, the proposed changes would take our nation in the wrong direction, adding new layers of bureaucracy to slow down innovation and injecting politics into a process that should be about scientific merit. These changes would harm the science and innovation that have made America safer, healthier and more prosperous, and reduce our nation’s global competitiveness.
We will continue to advocate for changes that improve and streamline how research is supported in our nation, including working with members of Congress to oppose harmful proposals such as this one from OMB. The proposed effective date for the new guidance is Oct. 1, 2026. As of the morning of the July 13 deadline, OMB had received nearly 300,000 comments.