The Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), representing over 225 major U.S. research institutions, submitted comments in response to the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) proposed rule aimed at improving performance, accountability, and responsiveness in the civil service. COGR's remarks focus particularly on the aspects of the rule that would potentially reclassify certain federal research grantmaking positions under a new "Schedule Policy/Career" category, thereby allowing these positions to be filled outside the competitive civil service process usually required for federal employment.
COGR expresses concern that OPM's broad definition of policy-determining or policy-making positions may inadvertently encompass individuals whose main responsibilities lie in the impartial, expertise-driven development, evaluation, and awarding of federal research grants. The organization maintains that such personnel should be selected based primarily on their scientific and technical expertise rather than their alignment with particular policy agendas, as research challenges and priorities are inherently nonpartisan in nature. COGR strongly recommends that OPM specifically exclude federal research grantmaking roles from the proposed Schedule Policy/Career reclassification, emphasizing the importance of scientific objectivity and the proven success of the current approach in advancing the nation’s research enterprise.
