US President Donald Trump is seeking greater administration control over federal health research funding through a proposed board that would oversee grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), according to a report.
Trump has directed budget director Russ Vought to draft an executive order that would establish the board, which could have a role in deciding which NIH research grants receive funding.
The proposed board is expected to include Vought and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. According to the report, approval from the board would be required before grants could receive funding, potentially giving senior administration officials greater influence over the distribution of NIH research money.
The proposal would represent a change from the NIH’s established grant-review system. Under the current framework, applications undergo scientific peer review, with the first stage conducted by scientific review groups made up primarily of non-federal experts. A second level of review is conducted by an NIH institute or centre’s advisory council, after which the institute or centre director makes the final funding decision.
The Trump administration has said changes to research funding are intended to ensure that federal money supports what officials consider strong scientific research and to address what they view as longstanding funding priorities.
The proposed changes come amid wider disputes over the administration’s handling of NIH grants. Scientists have also challenged some grant-screening practices in court, alleging that research funding decisions were influenced by political considerations.
As of September 21, the reported oversight board remains a proposed measure. The White House and relevant departments had not publicly commented on the reported plan at the time of the report.