IAGLR’s statement on OMB proposed changes to federal financial assistance rules

Jun 17, 2026

The International Association for Great Lakes Research is deeply concerned about the proposed revisions to federal financial assistance regulations by the Office of Management and Budget (Docket OMB-2026-0034). These changes would reshape the funding, management, and sharing of scientific research in the United States. Should they be enacted, these changes would undermine the foundation of U.S. science by placing political review above peer review, restricting scientific collaboration, and endangering the sustainability of scholarly publishing, including our own Journal of Great Lakes Research (JGLR).

Why This Matters to You
Most notably, these proposed rules would:

• Politicize Science Funding: Mandate that political appointees must not defer to and can override independent peer review recommendations for every discretionary grant.
• Stifle Collaboration: Require prior agency approval for scientists to attend conferences (like our annual Conference on Great Lakes Research) and make professional society memberships and journal subscriptions "unallowable" expenditures for federal grants without complex individual approvals. Other provisions threaten the international collaboration that promotes scientific discovery and the management of transnational resources such as the Laurentian Great Lakes. 
• Threaten Open Access & Publishing: By banning subscription costs for journals, the rule undermines the very infrastructure that supports high-quality, peer-reviewed science, creating a paradox where researchers cannot access the literature they need to do their work. By disallowing funding for open access publication, this rule change would directly contravene existing federal mandates for open access publication. 

Our Response
IAGLR has formally submitted comments opposing these changes, emphasizing that Great Lakes management and stewardship depend on rigorous, independent science and international collaboration, not political gatekeeping. We are joining other scientific societies in urging the administration to withdraw or significantly modify this proposal.

We Need Your Voice
We urge you to take two immediate actions before the comment deadline (July 13, 2026):

1. Read Our Full Submission: IAGLR Comments Submitted for OMB Review
2. Submit Your Own Public Comment: Visit the Federal Register, Docket OMB-2026-0034, and share your personal experience regarding why peer review, conference attendance, international collaboration and access to scientific literature are essential to your work protecting the Great Lakes.
   • Tip: Share a specific example of how attending a conference or accessing JGLR advanced your research or stewardship efforts.

Protecting the future of Great Lakes research requires us to stand together now. Your voice matters in this critical moment.

If you have any questions, please reach out to IAGLR Executive Director Jérôme Marty at jmarty@iaglr.org.

Sincerely,

The IAGLR Board of Directors