The following is a statement from AAU President Barbara R. Snyder on President Trump's executive order, "Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking":
For decades, the United States has been the world’s indisputable leader in science, technology, and innovation. But that leadership now hangs in the balance. The administration’s executive order will apparently replace the merit-based system of science-based decision-making for research grant funding in favor of decision making by political appointees.
The merit-based system has been designed to ensure that public funds are spent wisely on the best, most effective scientific approaches to tackle our nation’s most important challenges. Researchers compete against each other and those with the best proposals are awarded the research funding. This has yielded tremendous gains for our nation and the American people. Instead, the EO would add a new and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy that will diminish the role of quality and excellence in science while simultaneously adding delay to the process of evaluating and awarding grant proposals.
America won the position as global leader in science based on a peer-reviewed, merit-based system to ensure the funding of the best scientific proposals to solve the most important national challenges. In order to maintain our world-leading position in science and innovation, we must continue to support science-based, merit-based decision-making in the awarding of precious federal research dollars.
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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