So You’ve Submitted a Comment – Now What?
Great work! Now, please take a moment to share your comments with your Members of Congress (MOCs). If we do not explain the detrimental consequences of the proposed rule, they won’t know how harmful it will be.
Ways to Take Action
- Send an email to your Representative and/or Senators – see sample message.
- Schedule a meeting with MOC staff – can be via Zoom, at a district office, or even in DC if you’re nearby. See the FABBS Advocacy Handbook.
- During the August Recess: Attend a town hall and raise your opposition to the rule.
- Write an Op-Ed or Letter-to-the-Editor in your local newspaper to raise awareness in your community – see Science Homecoming and The Op-Ed Project for resources.
- Consult your institution’s government relations office to see if you can assist in any of their advocacy efforts on this issue.
Steps for Reaching Out
- Find your MOCs and best points of contact.
- Check if they are members of key committees, such as the Appropriations Committees (see FABBS resource).
- Have your MOCs signed on to letters or statements opposing the OMB proposed rule? Check here.
- If they are opposed, thank them in your message.
- If they are in favor (or have not publicly stated their position), help them understand your concerns.
- Develop your talking points using your submitted comments.
- If you are writing to Republican offices, it may be useful to cite the following comments opposing the rule: from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
On May 29, 2026, OMB published a proposed rule to update the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance, which are government-wide policies and requirements related to the management of grants, cooperative agreements, and other forms of assistance. The public can submit comments on the proposed rule until July 13, 2026 at 11:59pm using this link – https://www.regulations.gov/document/OMB-2026-0034-0001.
Below are two template comment letters – one for individual researchers and one for scientific societies – to use as you draft and submit your own comments providing feedback on the proposed rule. It is important that each comment is personalized so that it will require a review and response from the agency. You should include information about what work may be impeded and who may be harmed by the specific provisions in the proposal, if applicable.
We encourage you to review the list of the sections of the rule where changes are being proposed and address the provisions that would have an impact on your current and future work as a scientist/scientific society. For each point you raise, you should cite the relevant provision from the proposed rule and provide specific examples to illustrate why it is harmful to science.
Any personal information in the comment letter could be made public so be aware of that when you are drafting your comment letter. When you submit the comments to OMB, you can choose if you want to include your name/organization or submit them anonymously.
