A controversial push by the Trump administration could reshape how the National Institutes of Health awards research funding, with plans to shift grant approval authority from the agency’s scientific experts to political appointees. Leaked reports suggest the White House is weighing an executive order to tighten oversight, raising concerns over potential politicization of medical and scientific research funding. The move, first disclosed by The Washington Post, follows growing scrutiny over federal grant processes and their independence from political influence. Critics warn such changes could undermine the NIH’s long-standing reliance on peer review by researchers rather than government officials.
The Trump administration is reportedly putting together an executive order to move the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) grant approval process away from the agency and giving political appointees more control. Reports emerged over the weekend that the Oval Office was considering enforcing more political oversight into NIH's grantmaking process. The Washington Post was first...
