Fact Sheet: Defend the Spend

Executive Order 14222, intended to enhance efficiency and transparency and reduce costs in federally funded research, has instead imposed significant new administrative burdens and redundancies, notably through the “Defend the Spend” initiative. These new requirements force recipients to repeatedly justify pre-approved expenses, leading to payment delays, increased costs, and wasted effort, while disregarding existing robust oversight mechanisms such as audits, financial and programmatic reporting, and internal controls. The document calls for a risk-based, streamlined oversight approach that focuses resources where most needed, eliminates redundant reporting, and engages stakeholders to ensure efficiency without undermining the progress and competitiveness of U.S. research.