The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences calls on the US Office of Management and Budget to withdraw its proposed changes to the US research funding system. If the proposal were to be implemented, it would pose significant risks to academic freedom and international research collaboration.
According to the proposed Regulation on Federal Financial Assistance, responsibility for reviewing grant applications and the allocation of government research funding would, amongst other things, be placed with politically appointed officials, and international research collaborations would be restricted. According to the Academy, the risks of detailed political interference and the discontinuation of long-term and important international research collaborations are obvious.