The following is a statement by Marsha Anderson Bomar, Ph.D., President, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE):

WASHINGTON – The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) vehemently opposes the proposed rule titled “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance,” recently released by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This rule would cause severe harm to scientific research and academia, professional societies and their member communities, and practicing scientists and engineers in all fields.

If approved, the rule would give political appointees full control over all active and pending federal grant approvals, would reduce the significance of peer review in all federal grantmaking decisions, would limit international collaboration, and would endanger the financial sustainability of scientific organizations that conduct independent peer review and disseminate the findings of the related research. As a result, this proposal would ultimately eliminate independence, evidence-based assessment, and outcome-based thinking in scientific discovery, undermining the trusted processes responsible for solving public health crises, building more resilient communities, and driving economic progress.

As stewards of our nation’s built environment, civil engineers rely on independent, peer-reviewed research to strengthen and safeguard U.S. infrastructure. Collaborative research that spans the globe is necessary for bringing together the brightest minds and most innovative ideas that can advance our industries and communities. This proposal gives agencies the right to terminate grants for any reason and restricts U.S. scientists from receiving federal funding for research performed in collaboration with Chinese colleagues – reducing our ability to build on findings from talented scientists from across the globe.

Scientific advancement does not happen in silos, nor with political agendas steering the ship. Independent, competitive peer review has driven the world’s greatest technological achievements and solved some of humanity’s most daunting challenges, including the development of high-yield crop varieties, the ability to treat life-threatening infections, and water filtration developments for city-wide infrastructure. The understanding that research findings are based on the most stringent scientific standards, rather than ideologies, is essential to ensuring scientists, doctors, engineers, and other professionals are making the best possible decisions to advance public health, safety and welfare.

Beyond advancing research, ASCE members develop and maintain the nation’s critical infrastructure systems. Federal grants are a primary mechanism for supporting planning, design, construction, and rehabilitation of infrastructure systems, including transportation, water, and energy. This proposed rule could directly impact the reliability, safety, and resilience of infrastructure systems that communities depend on every day.

Political winds change direction frequently, and uprooting scientific research and federal funding priorities every few years to align with the viewpoints of different administrations would bring research and development – the backbone of our economy and public health – to a standstill. ASCE strongly urges the administration to rescind this effort and allow independence and competitiveness to remain core tenets of the scientific community.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 160,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org   or www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.