Fed Update: COGR News Digest

9/5/25Inside Higher Ed

Biotech to ‘Shift to U.K. and China’ After U.S. ‘Own Goal’ on mRNA Cuts

It will certainly make the U.S. poorer for not having a biotechnology industry that is not as competitive as it could be,” added Hunter. “The U.S. will certainly lose out to China and Europe, and when its researchers move overseas, it may not be easy to get them to return later.”

9/5/25Inside Higher ED

UC System Warns of Broader Risks in Federal Funding Fight

The University of California system is warning state lawmakers that federal funding cuts could extend well beyond UCLA as tensions between the Trump administration //and American colleges continue to rise. UC president James B. Milliken wrote a letter to dozens of local elected official Tuesday explaining that “the stakes are high and the risks are very real.” The system’s 10 institutions could lose billions of dollars in aid, forcing its leaders to make tough calls about staffing, the continuation of certain academic programs and more, he said.

9/4/25Science, Editorial

Improve the stewardship of federal research funds

Federal spending for scientific research in the United States is at a pivotal point of change. The funding system is now under close scrutiny by the Trump administration and Congress for the return it provides to taxpayers. Support from different federal agencies has already been diminished, and more change is coming. It is up to the research community to provide constructive solutions that improve accountability for federal money while preserving a partnership with the government that can continue to catalyze economic growth, place the US at the forefront of scientific knowledge, and improve lives

9/4/25Inside Higher Ed, COGR Mention

Scientists: Now Is the Time to Overhaul Federal Research Regulations

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine lays out options for federal research agencies to reduce regulatory burdens at a time when Trump is calling for deregulation.

STAT, COGR MentionSee also

Preview of NIH Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support Coming Soon to SciENcv

This Guide Notice informs the extramural community that NIH plans to launch preview versions of the NIH Common Forms within Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv). Users should be able to access these preview versions of the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Forms and the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement (along with the corresponding instructions) on or before September 15, 2025

9/4/25NOT-OD-25-151

Review of the Accuracy of Grants Information for Fiscal Year 2025

As the fiscal year comes to an end on September 30, 2025, NIH encourages Recipient Organizations to verify the accuracy of their grant assignments to Departments or Components within Organizations of Higher Education in  eRA Commons  through the Grant Re-assign function. Any corrections to the data must be made by 8:00 PM EDT on Monday, October 6, 2025, to be reflected in NIH annual reports

9/4/25Federal News Network

From Director Vought to A-11 update, OMB minimizing GAO’s role

The Office of Management and Budget is making its feelings known about the Government Accountability Office publicly and in regulations. Russ Vought, OMB’s director, said yesterday that GAO, like other independent agencies, doesn’t have a place in overseeing the executive branch. “We are not big fans of GAO. They are a quasi-legislative independent entity. Again, something that shouldn’t exist,” Vought said during a speech at the National Conservatism Conference

The HillSee also

Harvard victory leaves scientists feeling vindicated but uncertain

Harvard University scored a major victory in its battle against President Donald Trump’s administration yesterday, as a federal judge ruled the government broke the law when it cut billions of dollars in research grants to the school. The decision has inspired some optimism among scientists. But the White House is already vowing to appeal, signaling that Harvard’s fight to regain its funding is far from over.

New York TimesSee also

Two former top NIH officials say they were forced out in retaliation for objecting to grant terminations

Whistleblower complaints by two former top National Institutes of Health officials offer their inside accounts of the Trump administration’s targeting of vaccine science at the world’s largest funder of biomedical research and the reach of Matthew Memoli, the agency’s deputy director, in enacting those policies.

9/3/25The Chronicle

It’s Not a ‘Mutual-Defense Compact.’ But a New Ad From 18 Universities Aims to Send a Message.

Months ago, faculty leaders across the Big Ten tried to push their institutions to adopt a “mutual-defense compact” — effectively a commitment that if the Trump administration sought to pull grant funding or otherwise punish one university, its peers would respond. Administrators didn’t endorse the idea. Now the 18 universities in the Big Ten, which represent both an athletic conference and an academic alliance, have collaborated on an advertisement defending higher ed that will air during college football games. The 30-second spot blends a healthy dose of agrarian charm and shots of high-tech laboratories, highlighting the universities’ contributions to research, health care, and their communities.

9/2/25DOE Policy Flash

PF 2025-56 (FAL2025-08) SUBJECT: The Buy America Preference for Financial Assistance

The FAL applies to all DOE notice of funding opportunity announcements (NOFOs) and financial assistance actions, where funds are appropriated or otherwise made available and used for financial assistance awards for or involving public infrastructure projects—NOFOs or financial assistance awards that include construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of public infrastructure in the United States. This FAL also includes updated guidance on DOE’s Buy America Requirement waiver request submittal and review process.

9/2/25Washington Post

Congress returns with not much time to dodge a government shutdown

Lawmakers haven’t settled on a plan to pass spending legislation. The GOP will need to find Democratic votes in the Senate

Federal News NetworkSee also

Peer Review Paranoia

The system is built on trust between scholars. AI is undermining that

9/2/25STAT

A closely watched legal battle over NIH funding cuts could settle soon

A widely watched case against the National Institutes of Health over the termination of hundreds of grants was poised to enter a new phase of arguments Tuesday, centered on what to do with removed notices of funding opportunities. Instead, the plaintiffs indicated that they may be able to settle the case by the end of this week.

9/2/25Inside Higher Ed

HHS Lawyer: NIH Shouldn’t Re-Terminate Grants After SCOTUS Ruling

The National Institutes of Health shouldn’t cut off funding to 900 grants that the agency previously canceled and then had to restore thanks to a June court order, lawyers for the Department of Health and Human Services said last week