News

Proposed Grant Changes; Fogarty Center; NIMHD

BU IN DC

Eric Jacobsen of Information Services & Technology attended the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit between June 1st and 4th.

Doctoral students Kathryn Rodgers and Lydia Lichtiger from the School of Public Health participated in the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology Conference and Advocacy Day from June 1st to 4th.

PROPOSED RULE SEEKS TO CHANGE FEDERAL GRANTMAKING

Last week, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a proposal to significantly change the federal rules governing grant competitions and awards. The draft regulation follows President Donald J. Trump's August 2025 executive order on "Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking." The proposal would require senior political appointees to review grant award decisions, allow federal agencies to more easily terminate grants, curtail foreign collaborations, restrict federal support for conference travel and publication costs, and give competitive preference to grantees with lower facilities and administrative reimbursement rates. The public is invited to submit comments on the proposal by July 13th. OMB is required to review and address comments prior to issuing a final rule.

Read the proposed rule

BUZZ BITS...

• Dr. Steven Schiff has been named as director of the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NIH Associate Director for International Research. Schiff previously served as vice chair for global health in the neurosurgery department at Yale University. Dr. Peter Kilmarx had served as Fogarty's acting director since April 2025.
• The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) renamed two technical offices. The Information Innovation Office will return to an earlier name, the Information Processing Techniques Office, while the Microsystems Technology Office will now be the Multi X Office, reflecting a broader focus beyond "traditional microsystems."
• The Department of Defense (DOD) announced additional members of DOD's Science and Technology Innovation Board (STIB), bringing the total number of appointees to 33. STIB is the result of a merger between the Defense Innovation Board and the Defense Science Board and serves as the advisory body for military research activities. Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, the leader of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy during the first Trump Administration, is one of the new appointees.

EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) within the National Institutes of Health will host a webinar, "Shaping the Next Era of NIMHD Science: Current Status, Emerging Opportunities, and Scientific Priorities" on June 22nd from 1:00 to 2:00 pm. Dr. Monica Webb Hooper, the NIMHD acting director, and other NIMHD leadership will provide updates on the institute's current scientific priorities and vision for health disparities science, including emerging research opportunities. Presentations will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

RSVP here

NIH; Defense Research; Limited Submissions

BU IN DC

Julie Wickstrom of Enrollment & Student Administration attended the Higher Education Loan Coalition Board of Directors Meeting and spoke with Congressional offices about student aid policy from May 18th to May 20th.

Thomas Perls of the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine spoke with Washington-area BU alumni about the New England Centenarian Study at an event hosted by BU Advancement on May 20th.  

LAWMAKERS QUESTION NIH DIRECTOR ABOUT BUDGET, OPERATIONS

On Thursday, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya testified before a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee on the Trump Administration's budget request. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) revealed that the acting head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) "stepped down from his position" and expressed concern about reports that other top officials at NIAID were "reassigned and forced out of their positions." Democrats questioned the Director about the Trump Administration's cancellation of contracts to support mRNA vaccine research and its proposal to close the NIH Fogarty International Center, particularly in light of the current Ebola outbreak. Senators also shared their support for NIH investment in early-career investigators.

Watch the hearing

BUZZ BITS...

• The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing on science and technology priorities in the fiscal year 2028 Department of Defense budget on Tuesday. Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael acknowledged the Trump Administration's recommendation to reduce support for basic research, while highlighting the Pentagon's interest in applied AI, biomanufacturing, quantum information science, and scaled hypersonics.
• A subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) that would provide each agency with $135 million in fiscal year 2027, rejecting the Trump Administration's recommendation to close the NEA and NEH. The Senate has not yet released its version of the arts and humanities spending bill.
• Last week, House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) released a report examining the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) approach to research security. The report asserts that NASA is not abiding by the Wolf amendment, which "prohibits NASA-funded bilateral research and activities with China" and offers 13 policy recommendations for Congress, the Trump Administration, and universities.

GRANT NEWS YOU CAN USE

The Office of Research Development has recently updated its website and internal process for limited submission opportunities (LSOs), which are funding opportunities that restrict the number of proposals an institution may submit. Most LSOs follow a 12-16 week process from the internal announcement to the funder deadline, in which BU releases an internal competition announcement, reviews internal applications, and notifies candidates selected to prepare an application. An expedited “short fuse” process lasting 4-6 weeks will be used for funding opportunities with shorter timelines. Faculty and staff can review updated guidelines and frequently asked questions on the LSO website. A new weekly LSO Digest is sent out every Tuesday to subscribers within the BU community.

Learn more

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