Chicago, July 13, 2026 — The Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) are concerned about a proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that could weaken the federal research system responsible for decades of progress against Alzheimer’s and other dementia.
“Progress against Alzheimer’s depends on a federal research system that funds the best science, shares results openly and provides the long-term stability that clinical trials require,” said Joanne Pike, DrPH, Alzheimer’s Association president and CEO. “As proposed, this rule risks undermining each of those pillars, and we are urging OMB not to finalize it in its current form.”
The proposed rule rewrites the federal government’s Uniform Guidance governing research grants and cooperative agreements across every federal agency. It requires discretionary awards to undergo review by senior agency appointees, who may not routinely defer to scientific peer-review recommendations. Although scientific peer review would remain part of the process, its recommendations would be expressly advisory, creating a formal route for presidential and agency priorities to override judgments of scientific merit. It grants agencies broad new authority to terminate active research awards, including ongoing clinical trials and longitudinal studies — work that, once interrupted, often cannot be restarted, with participants and years of scientific progress lost. Finally, the rule has the potential to significantly inhibit international collaboration to advance the very best science.
“Dementia is a global crisis, and the science behind it is inherently global,” continued Pike. “The progress being made on treatments and early detection depends on the continued partnership of scientists, clinicians and the federal government working together.”
More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease today, and care for people living with dementia is estimated to cost the nation $409 billion in 2026 alone.
The Alzheimer’s Association and AIM submitted formal comments to OMB during the public comment period and stand ready to work with the administration to ensure any final rule supports the search for treatments and cures.
As the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research, the Alzheimer’s Association is here all day, every day for people facing Alzheimer’s and other dementia. The Association remains committed, driven by the needs of the people it serves, to its mission.
