By Jeffrey Mervis, David Malakoff*Update, 20 March, 12:45 p.m.: Last night, the White House Office of Management and Budget issued a new directive that gives universities the flexibility they are seeking to deal with disruptions to research caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s almost exactly what we asked for,” says Wendy Streitz of the Council on Governmental Relations, a nonprofit representing hundreds of research institutions.Now, it’s up to federal agencies to spell out exactly how those changes will affect tens of thousands of grantees.
Look for that information on agency FAQs. And keep checking for updates.The U.S. research community is urgently asking the White House and Congress to take steps aimed at keeping academic