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By Jeffrey MervisJun. 30, 2020 , 5:20 PM
New rules on how U.S. universities manage federal research grants leave them with less flexibility to cope with the pandemic. The changes, which rescind many temporary measures adopted this spring as COVID-19 shuttered campuses and froze the economy, come despite continued uncertainty over the fall semester and the status of research on U.S. campuses.
“I am speechless because I just don’t know” what lies ahead, confessed David Mayo, head of sponsored research at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), during a meeting yesterday of a top-level advisory panel to the National Science Foundation (NSF) at which the changes were discussed.
... The new OMB memo reflects the Trump administration’s stance that things should be getting back to normal despite the continuing rise in COVID-19 cases. “As the Country is now recovering from the Coronavirus pandemic and some areas are starting the re-opening process, the ramp-up effort is also starting for the performance of Federally-funded projects,” the 18 June memo declares.
The memo also assumes that universities have figured out how to deal with the pandemic and no longer require special consideration.
New rules on how U.S. universities manage federal research grants leave them with less flexibility to cope with the pandemic. The changes, which rescind many temporary measures adopted this spring as COVID-19 shuttered campuses and froze the economy, come despite continued uncertainty over the fall semester and the status of research on U.S. campuses.
“I am speechless because I just don’t know” what lies ahead, confessed David Mayo, head of sponsored research at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), during a meeting yesterday of a top-level advisory panel to the National Science Foundation (NSF) at which the changes were discussed.
... The new OMB memo reflects the Trump administration’s stance that things should be getting back to normal despite the continuing rise in COVID-19 cases. “As the Country is now recovering from the Coronavirus pandemic and some areas are starting the re-opening process, the ramp-up effort is also starting for the performance of Federally-funded projects,” the 18 June memo declares.
The memo also assumes that universities have figured out how to deal with the pandemic and no longer require special consideration.
