In the US, White House plan for control over NIH grants has stalled — STAT News

In the United States, a proposed executive order that could have significantly strengthened the White House’s influence over the awarding of grants by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) appears unlikely to be implemented. STAT News reports, citing a person familiar with the decision who was not authorized to speak to the media.

Proposed commission

According to the publication, the order envisaged the creation of a commission of political appointees that would have the right to veto NIH grant-award decisions. The plan called for Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, to be included in the commission.

The initiative faced bipartisan opposition in Congress. US Senate Appropriations Committee Chair, Republican Senator Susan Collins, confirmed to STAT News that the draft order apparently would not be advanced further.

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Senator’s letter

On Tuesday, Collins sent a letter to Vought and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, urging them not to move forward with the proposal. According to her, such a mechanism could undermine the purpose of federal funding for biomedical research, which should be based on the scientific merit of projects rather than political ideology.

Semafor was the first outlet to report that the draft executive order had been scaled back.