Office of Management and Budget proposes ban on US research funding for China
Summary
The Office of Management and Budget has proposed a rule that would ban all federal research funding for U.S. scientific collaborations with China, a nation that has recently surpassed the U.S. as the leading investor and producer of science and engineering research and development. This proposal extends existing restrictions, such as the Wolf Amendment, to all federal financial assistance, raising concerns among U.S. scientists and research organizations about potential limitations on international collaborations and the impact on American research progress.
Analysis
Office of Management and Budget: The Office of Management and Budget is an agency in the Executive Office of the President responsible for overseeing the federal budget and supervising executive branch agencies. In this news, it published a proposed rule on May 29, 2026, that would prohibit the use of federal research funding for collaborations with China and other designated countries of concern. Policy Impact: The proposed rule extends existing restrictions like the Wolf Amendment government-wide to all federal financial assistance. Scientific Community: U.S. scientists and research organizations have raised concerns that the restrictions could limit access to international collaborations and harm American research progress.
Categories
macropolitics
Related sources
- https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/when-political-appointees-outrank-peer-review-how-a-new-office-of-management-and-budget-rule-could-reshape-spectroscopy-and-scientific-research-funding
- https://www.aip.org/fyi/omb-proposes-broad-restrictions-on-international-research
- https://www.regulations.gov/document/OMB-2026-0034-0001
- https://www.asbmb.org/advocacy/omb-proposed-rule
- https://www.facebook.com/AmericanGeophysicalUnion/posts/comment-on-ombs-proposed-rule-by-13-july-link-belowthe-office-of-management-and-/1397013012472901/
- https://www.aps.org/initiatives/advocate-amplify/policy/federal-grants-rule-change
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/08/11/scientists-say-us-will-suffer-if-white-house-bars-science-with-china/
- https://research.gwu.edu/important-update-ombs-proposed-rule-federal-grantmaking
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- https://www.facebook.com/PLOS.org/posts/on-may-29-2026-the-office-of-management-and-budget-published-a-proposed-rule-tha/1661010316030773/
- https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2026/06/omb-rule-proposes-significant-changes-to-federal-financial-assistance