The White House released draft regulations that, if implemented, would give political appointees final authority over federal research grants and other funding decisions across government science agencies. The proposal, slated for publication in the Federal Register, would centralize Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control and require senior political review sign-off before awards. The draft includes changes to how peer review committees function, describing peer review as advisory while agency discretion would be strengthened through appointee oversight. Supporters argue it is reforming grant administration; critics warn it could shift funding away from expert scientific evaluation. For biotech researchers and investors, the proposal matters because it could affect the cadence and confidence of grant-backed translation work, influencing investigator capacity and downstream industry pipeline development.