President Trump has asked budget director Russ Vought to draft an executive order to create a board that would select recipients of NIH grants, Politico reports. The board would include NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and require unanimous votes on awards, giving political appointees direct influence over congressionally appropriated research funds. The move follows criticism of last year’s funding cuts that froze or canceled many university grants, and officials did not immediately comment.
Trump Moves To Place Major NIH Grant Decisions Under Political Appointees, Politico Says
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Dr Mehmet Oz stand behind US President Donald J. Trump as he makes an announcement on healthcare in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., US, September 18, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
Sept 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has directed his budget director, Russ Vought, to draft an executive order that would shift substantial oversight of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant decisions to a White House-appointed board, Politico reported on Saturday.
According to two administration officials familiar with a recent meeting, the proposed board would include NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and Vought, who leads the White House Office of Management and Budget. The board would be empowered to decide which grant applications receive NIH funding and reportedly would be required to reach unanimous decisions on awards.
What the Proposal Would Do
Under the reported plan, Vought and other political appointees would have a direct role in determining how the agency distributes congressionally appropriated research funds. Supporters of the administration say the changes aim to ensure taxpayer dollars support rigorous, high-priority science; critics warn the move could politicize research funding and undermine scientific independence.
The proposal follows criticism and scrutiny of research-funding cuts enacted last year that targeted federal spending at major universities and led to the freezing or cancellation of grants at multiple institutions.
The Office of Management and Budget, the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services — which oversees the NIH — did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside normal business hours.
(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry)
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