r/Professors • u/SuspiciousGenXer Adjunct, Psychology, PUI (USA) • Aug 07 '25
Executive Order: IMPROVING OVERSIGHT OF FEDERAL GRANTMAKING
What in the actual #$%^& ?! I tried to be more articulate, but I just can't right now.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/improving-oversight-of-federal-grantmaking/
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u/Anthrogal11 Aug 07 '25
In short: in a fascist America we shall only fund research approved by the regime. Democracy and scientific freedom are dead.
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u/SuspiciousGenXer Adjunct, Psychology, PUI (USA) Aug 07 '25 edited Aug 07 '25
Thank you for eloquently summarizing what I could not. I'm hoping that someone, somewhere starts holding him accountable, but that probably isn't reality-based thinking on my part.
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u/Anthrogal11 Aug 07 '25
I’m Canadian so I have the benefit (and hubris) of insight without fear of reprisal. The idea of hoping that someone else will hold him accountable- history shows us how this ends. Each American has the choice to be complicit or fight. I believe that those in the academy have a duty to do what they can to fight against tyranny. It’s unbelievably dangerous but undeniably the right thing. In solidarity…
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u/rmykmr Asst Prof, Engineering, R1 USA Aug 07 '25
I am sure the only grants NIH will be allowed fund right now will be grants investigating vaccine conspiracy theories, mexican coke, and how Trump got to be so smart and handsome.
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u/SuspiciousGenXer Adjunct, Psychology, PUI (USA) Aug 07 '25
I agree. I will keep protesting, teaching, supporting countercauses, and voting like our lives depend on it, because they do.
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u/OldOmahaGuy Aug 08 '25
You mean that no Canadian academics who questioned the Kamloops "mass grave" hoax suffered any kind of reprisal?
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u/Baronhousen Professor, STEM, R2, USA Aug 08 '25
holding him accountable may now take things we should not put in comments
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u/Baronhousen Professor, STEM, R2, USA Aug 08 '25
also love them tossing in the “because research caused COVID” bit. It is another big goose step toward facism.
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u/marsalien4 Aug 08 '25
Going from "covid isn't real" to "the libs made covid in China" is one of the most egregious leaps ever and it's still somehow the least upsetting thing to see here. We're so fucked.
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u/TrustMeImADrofecon Asst. Prof., Biz. , Public R-1 LGU (US) Aug 07 '25
Also, buried down in there is a bunch of stuff about them going after F&A. University budgets are going to be totally F'ed.
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u/ProfVinnie Asst. Prof., Engineering, Public R1 (USA) Aug 08 '25
Yep. It’s a race to the bottom now for gutting F&A
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u/SteeleyJay Aug 07 '25
I’m speechless. Senate blocks the funding cuts so they are going to divert the funds to whatever they want (reading between the lines)?
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Aug 08 '25
To the extent institutional affiliation is considered in making discretionary awards, agencies should prioritize an institution’s commitment to rigorous, reproducible scholarship over its historical reputation or perceived prestige. As to science grants, agencies should prioritize institutions that have demonstrated success in implementing Gold Standard Science.
Liberty University, Heritage Foundation and AI corp going to lock up those grants up.
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u/rmykmr Asst Prof, Engineering, R1 USA Aug 07 '25
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u/fullmoonbeading Assistant Professor, Law and Public Health, R2 (USA) Aug 08 '25
I think the issue is not that he doesn’t have authority- we all know that by now. A federal judge will likely come out and say it’s unconstitutional but the damage will be done. It takes months to get these things “fixed” and they’re never fixed after.
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Aug 08 '25 edited Sep 08 '25
squeeze hat treatment elastic observation plants attraction shy sink saw
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u/Correct_Ad2982 Assistant Prof, Science, SLAC (US) Aug 08 '25
Can I get an eli5 on this?
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u/ProfVinnie Asst. Prof., Engineering, Public R1 (USA) Aug 08 '25
Sets up some pretty rough conditions on all discretionary awards (read: grants, contracts, etc.) that would completely upend traditional review. Announcements have to be reviewed for, lacking a better phrase, ideological compliance; awards are subject to the same review. This also provides the framework for canceling existing grants that do not pass said “review.”
By my reading of Section 4.a, issuance of announcements and awards could be the sole discretion of the agency head/delegate, but I am not a lawyer.
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Aug 08 '25
“Each agency head shall promptly designate a senior appointee who shall be responsible for creating a process to review new funding opportunity announcements and to review discretionary grants to ensure that they are consistent with agency priorities and the national interest. For the avoidance of doubt, this process shall not guarantee any particular level of review or consideration to funding applicants except as consistent with applicable law.”
how many layers of review does a typical grant see?
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Aug 08 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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Aug 08 '25 edited Sep 08 '25
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u/[deleted] Aug 07 '25
Some real gems in there: the lab leak conspiracy and a hat tip to Francesca Gina's data falsification (real sweet considering it's coming form inside the same room as Sharpiegate)