The ACA is joining the American Physical Society (APS) and a coalition of scientific and research organizations to help ensure the voice of the research community is heard as the federal government considers significant changes to the regulations governing federal research grants.

On May 30, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released proposed revisions to the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), the government-wide regulations that govern the administration of federal grants and cooperative agreements. These regulations establish the framework for administering billions of dollars in federal research funding each year and affect universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, scientific societies, and researchers across the United States.

According to OMB, the proposed revisions are intended to strengthen transparency, accountability, oversight, and compliance while reducing administrative burden. The proposal includes extensive changes affecting grant administration, recipient responsibilities, compliance requirements, allowable costs, and federal oversight.

Because these regulations play a critical role in how federally funded research is administered, many organizations throughout the scientific community are carefully reviewing the proposal to better understand its potential impact on research institutions, scientific societies, investigators, students, and the broader research enterprise.

ACA Action

The ACA has joined the American Physical Society and numerous other scientific organizations in supporting a request to extend the public comment period from July 13, 2026, to August 27, 2026. Given the breadth and complexity of the proposed revisions, we believe the research community should have adequate time to review the proposal and provide meaningful feedback.

The ACA is also preparing comments on behalf of the Society to share the perspectives of the crystallographic and structural science communities.

In addition, we are partnering with APS and other scientific societies to encourage broad participation in the public comment process. By working together, we can help ensure that the collective expertise and experiences of researchers are represented as OMB considers these proposed revisions.

Why Public Comments Matter

Federal agencies are required to consider public comments before finalizing regulations. Comments from researchers, educators, research administrators, scientific societies, universities, nonprofit organizations, and members of the public help policymakers better understand how proposed regulations may affect the communities responsible for implementing them.

While comments submitted by organizations are important, individual comments are equally valuable. Researchers, students, laboratory personnel, grant administrators, educators, and others working within the research enterprise bring unique perspectives that can help illustrate the practical impacts of proposed regulatory changes.

A comment does not need to be lengthy or highly technical to be effective. In many cases, the strongest comments simply:

• Explain your role in the research community.
• Identify the specific provision you are commenting on.
• Describe how the proposed change could affect your work, institution, students, collaborators, or field of research.
• Recommend a specific change or clarification.

Hundreds of thoughtful comments from members of the scientific community can provide valuable insight into how proposed regulations may affect federally funded research.

Submit a Public Comment

The ACA encourages members to review the proposal and consider participating in the federal rulemaking process.

To make participation easier, we are partnering with the American Physical Society and other scientific organizations that have developed a public comment portal with background information, guidance, and a streamlined process for submitting comments to OMB. The ACA will soon be added as a supporting society on the portal, but members are welcome to use it now.

The current deadline for submitting comments is July 13, 2026.

Submit a Public Comment

ACA Advocacy & Action Resources

Advocacy plays an important role in ensuring that policymakers understand how their decisions affect scientific research and the broader research community. While the ACA, as a nonprofit scientific society, participates in the regulatory process by submitting comments and working collaboratively with partner organizations, individual researchers also have an important opportunity to share their expertise.

ACA's Advocacy Action Toolkit provides resources to help members effectively communicate with policymakers, participate in advocacy efforts, and share the importance of scientific research with decision-makers.

Whether you are submitting comments on this proposal or engaging on future issues affecting structural science, we encourage you to make use of these resources.

Looking Ahead

The ACA will continue working alongside APS and other scientific societies throughout the rulemaking process and will keep members informed as new developments occur.

We encourage all members to stay informed, review the proposed revisions, and consider participating in the public comment process. By sharing our expertise—both individually and collectively—we can help ensure that the perspectives of the crystallographic and broader scientific communities are represented as these important regulations are considered.