The following is a statement from the Association of American Universities President Barbara R. Snyder regarding the January 27 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo ordering a temporary pause to all federal grants, loans and other financial assistance programs.
Last night, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo (M-25-13) ordering a temporary pause to all federal grants, loans and other financial assistance programs. The stated purpose of the action is to ensure that no federal funds are being used in ways that do not align with recently issued executive orders. The memo contains no date by which the pause will be lifted.
We are extremely concerned about the impact of this action on our country’s ability to maintain its scientific and technological lead against competitors and potential adversaries.
Even a temporary stoppage of critical scientific research is a self-defeating, unforced error. On the very same day that headlines announced a breakthrough indicating that China may have, at very least, caught up to the U.S. in some aspects of artificial intelligence, the federal government put on hold critical ongoing work to make U.S. scientific and technological advances. If you are racing neck-and-neck, stepping off the track for any amount of time is a gift to your competitors.
This pause of American scientific research not only sets us back against global competitors; it is also a significant loss for people at home. It means the country stops its work to find better treatments for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. It means the country stops its scientific work designed to help farmers do better by increasing yields and fighting crop disease and extreme weather. It means the nation puts on hold the scientific discoveries that can boost manufacturing, including new innovations that lead to start up opportunities for new small businesses. And it means we stop working on the science and technology to better protect our military servicemembers in the field and to give them the advantages against enemy forces that could bring them home safely.
The president has said many times that he wants to make America great. Disrupting scientific advances would undermine his goal. There is a better way to accomplish this objective. Critical grant-funded efforts across the country could continue while agencies perform the required review. We know that agencies are closely examining the order to provide clear guidance to our institutions and others on how to proceed. We look forward to working with administration officials to better understand this and to minimize disruption to advancing America’s scientific greatness.
Founded in 1900, the Association of American Universities is composed of America’s leading research universities. AAU’s 71 research universities transform lives through education, research, and innovation.
Our member universities earn the majority of competitively awarded federal funding for research that improves public health, seeks to address national challenges, and contributes significantly to our economic strength, while educating and training tomorrow’s visionary leaders and innovators.
AAU member universities collectively help shape policy for higher education, science, and innovation; promote best practices in undergraduate and graduate education; and strengthen the contributions of leading research universities to American society.
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