A coalition of more than 50 scientific societies issued a letter to the United States Congress today, expressing concerns over provisions in the 7 August 2025 Executive Order (EO) titled “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking.” The letter urges Congress to provide necessary oversight at federal science agencies to prevent potentially significant damage to US leadership in scientific and medical research.

The US federal grantmaking ecosystem serves as the gold standard for supporting cutting-edge research and driving technological innovation worldwide. While ongoing evaluation and oversight of this ecosystem contribute to its effectiveness, the directives within the EO raise questions regarding the possibility of politicization in federally funded research.

The letter urges Congress to take action to safeguard the integrity of the independent, merit-based peer-review system. It also raises concerns over the expansion of “termination for convenience” authority, and the many inefficiencies introduced in the grantmaking process by requiring grant recipients to provide written explanations for each drawdown of funds. Finally, the letter supports the EO’s goal of ensuring that grants are given to a broad range of recipients but raises questions over how “repeat players” will be determined.

The letter is addressed to congressional leadership, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The letter was also sent to the congressional committees with oversight of federal science agencies.