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News
The White House wants political control over health research dollars. President Trump has directed his budget director to draft an executive order creating a board — including NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and budget chief Russ Vought — that would decide which NIH grants get funded. The move comes as the administration faces growing backlash over research funding cuts at major universities.
The White House wants political control over health research dollars.
President Trump has directed Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought to draft an executive order that would establish a new oversight board with authority over NIH grant awards. The board would include Vought and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, and critically, all funding decisions would require unanimous agreement — effectively giving the OMB director veto power over how the agency distributes its congressionally-appropriated research funds.
The move is the latest escalation in the administration's push to reshape federal science spending. Over the past year, the Trump administration has frozen or cancelled grants at numerous universities, arguing the cuts are needed to fund only "solid science" and correct what it calls years of misguided priorities.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Placing NIH grant decisions under political appointee control could fundamentally alter how the U.S. prioritizes and funds biomedical research — with downstream effects on drug development, public health, and scientific independence for years to come.
