FASEB Submits Comments on Proposed Changes to Department of Education Grant Regulations

Tuesday, September 22, 2026
On September 21, FASEB submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Education on proposed revisions to the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR; Docket ID ED-2026-OPEPD-2542). FASEB expressed support for the Department’s goals of reducing administrative burden, promoting merit, and strengthening stewardship of federal funds while cautioning that several provisions could undermine those goals and establish precedents affecting the broader federal research enterprise. The federation recommended that the Department narrow its proposed authority to terminate awards for convenience and preserve recourse for continuation of funding decisions. FASEB also urged the Department to reconsider competitive preferences for applicants that accept below-cost indirect-cost rates, ensure workforce-development grants can recover the reasonable costs of delivering high-quality training programs, clarify proposed merit-assurance language, retain rigorous evidence standards, and maintain permanent, publicly accessible notice of federal funding opportunities. FASEB also urged the Department to address Congress’s decision to pause substantively similar government-wide regulatory changes through December 11, 2026.