The Trump administration is moving to change how federal grants are evaluated and can be rescinded, according to a proposed rule that would transfer grant decision-making away from independent peer review. The policy would give political appointees broader discretion to terminate active grants if funded work is deemed misaligned with administration priorities. Advocates say the proposal effectively clears a path for more cancellations mid-project, challenging the stability researchers and institutions rely on after peer-reviewed awards. The proposal also aims to convert guidance into a harder rule, increasing top-down control and reducing discretion currently held by agencies that administer grants. For colleges and universities, the risk is less about theoretical evaluation changes and more about operational continuity—faculty hiring, equipment purchases, and multi-year project planning that depend on stable funding timelines.