Higher education and research organizations warned that a Trump administration plan could tighten oversight of federal research funding and sideline peer-review models. A proposed Office of Management and Budget rule would require federal agencies to designate political appointees to review new and existing research grants, drawing strong objections from scientific groups. The American Association for the Advancement of Science called the rule “a brazen power grab,” warning it would undermine future discovery and replace scientific judgment with political review. A coalition of groups and institutions also argued the proposed revisions would restrict federal funding for activities tied to DEI and gender-affirming care. The National education research debate is also shifting in Congress: a separate coalition report urged lawmakers to prioritize career-connected learning in the federal education research agenda, pointing to a “relevance gap” and AI-driven uncertainty about workforce skills. Together, these developments show how both research governance and education priorities are being contested through federal policy levers.