Research organizations and university groups pushed back on NIH proposals to cap grant funding used for journal publication fees, submitting roughly 900 public comments opposing strict limits. Critics argue caps would disrupt open-access publishing models and shift costs onto researchers and institutions. Separately, reports warn that higher-education administrative systems — grants management, compliance and data integration — are straining under modern oversight demands. University leaders say weak internal systems, not negligent staff, create audit and compliance risks that could jeopardize federal funding and research partnerships.