Alliance for Vision Research Urges Immediate Action to Protect Independent Scientific Review

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Alliance for Vision Research Urges Immediate Action to Protect Independent Scientific Review 

WASHINGTON — June 3, 2026 — Alliance for Vision Research is calling on researchers, clinicians, patients, advocates, institutions, and industry partners to take immediate action in response to a newly proposed Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rule that could weaken independent scientific peer review and increase political influence over federal research funding decisions. 

For decades, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Eye Institute (NEI) have relied on a rigorous, merit-based peer-review system to ensure that research funding decisions are driven by scientific excellence, innovation, and patient impact. The proposed OMB changes could undermine that foundation and create new uncertainty across the biomedical research ecosystem. 

“The vision research community is facing another critical moment,” said Dan Ignaszewski, Executive Director of Alliance for Vision Research. “Independent scientific review has been the cornerstone of American biomedical innovation for decades. This proposal would significantly weaken that process and threaten the discoveries, treatments, and cures that patients are counting on.” 

Alliance for Vision Research is concerned that this proposal: 

• Weakens independent scientific peer review and increases political influence over research funding decisions. 
• Creates new pathways for federal agencies to terminate research grants after they have been awarded. 
• Restricts scientific collaboration by imposing new approval requirements for conference participation and professional engagement. 
• Discourages researchers from sharing scientific evidence and expertise on public policy issues. 
• Limits the dissemination of federally funded research, potentially slowing the translation of discoveries into patient care. 
• Expands administrative and compliance burdens that divert researchers’ time and resources away from scientific discovery. 
• Threatens the merit-based research system that has made the United States the global leader in biomedical innovation. 
• Risks delaying breakthroughs in vision research and other fields that patients and families depend upon for new treatments and cures. 

The stakes are particularly high for the vision community. NEI-supported research has led to groundbreaking advances in gene therapy, retinal imaging, artificial intelligence, regenerative medicine, and treatments for blinding diseases. These innovations have improved the lives of millions of Americans and strengthened the nation’s position as a global leader in scientific discovery. 

Alliance for Vision Research is urging the vision community to submit letters to OMB on behalf of aligned organizations and is asking researchers, clinicians, patients, and industry to share their concerns with the changes being proposed. 

“Scientific breakthroughs do not happen by accident and are supported based on objective scientific review. These breakthroughs have been built on a research ecosystem that rewards excellence, supports innovation, and allows the best science to rise to the top. These decisions should be made by experts and not subject to political whims. 

Science must remain independent. The future of research and the future of sight for millions depends on it. 

Contact:
Judy Hill
Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer
Alliance for Vision Research
judy@eyeresearch.org
240-351-3413

About Alliance for Vision Research 

Alliance for Vision Research is the nation’s leading advocate for robust federal funding and strong policy support for the vision science community. The organization works to elevate eye and vision research, protect the National Eye Institute, and ensure continued investment in discoveries that improve and save sight.