Grants.Gov Gets Out of the DOGE-House

Grants.Gov Gets Out of the DOGE-House

Following months of uncertainty, federal agencies are regaining control over the grantmaking process.

Role of Grants.gov

Overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Grants.gov is the key federal portal for soliciting applications for $500B+ in federal funds.

Shift to DOGE

DOGE became platform administrator this spring, centralizing review of every funding opportunity.

The result? Dozens of delayed grants and questions over the rules for grant decisions; everything from support for Alzheimer's caregivers to child and family programs.

This also happened in the context of the “Defend the Spend” initiative, which further delayed disbursement of funds for federal programs.

DOGE Denied

Now DOGE’s central gatekeeping role is out.

Agencies can post NOFOs directly — though political appointee sign-off requirements remain.

This shift follows changes in the role and influence of Elon Musk and DOGE.

It also occurs amidst contested legal questions about whether federal agencies must spend funds Congress appropriates.

Rerouting Red Tape

White House officials say DOGE still plays a “facilitator” role, with embedded staff at each agency.

It’s not yet clear whether the change will lead to revisiting delays and expirations of impacted grants.

The key question now is if decisional authority reverts to agency officials, or their DOGE teams.