In an AGB Trusteeship Podcast discussion, Penn Hill Group’s Alex Nock outlined a proposed Trump administration rule revising federal grant regulations and centralizing oversight of discretionary grants. The proposed rule, with a comment deadline of July 13, would re-shape how political review and peer review results are treated within grantmaking. Nock said the proposal could subordinate peer review to a higher-level decision process and would incorporate administration priorities, including efforts to block DEI-related initiatives. A key point for boards: this rulemaking could affect research and program funding decisions that rely on discretionary components. For governance stakeholders, the development matters because it signals an intensified federal approach to shaping research and institutional priorities, with potential downstream effects on pipeline-building, compliance workflows, and strategic planning for boards and presidents.