On May 29, 2026, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a proposed revision to the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance — also known as Uniform Guidance — that is the regulatory framework for federal financial awards. Per OMB, the intent of the changes is “to improve government-wide policies and requirements related to the management of grants, cooperative agreements, and other forms of assistance.” These proposed changes could have meaningful implications for the conduct and administration of federally funded research at MIT, and we are thoroughly reviewing them.
Importantly, the proposed rule is subject to a 45-day comment period, in which MIT will participate along with university associations. Whatever the final outcome of this rulemaking, we remain fully committed to supporting world-class research at MIT in a manner consistent with our mission and values. In the meantime, the proposed rule has no immediate effect.
If, as a member of the MIT community, you have any questions about the impact of changes in federal research policy, please reach out to research-policy-questions@mit.edu, which reaches senior administrators in the Office of the Vice President for Research as well as attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel.