Proposed NIH reorganization framework - sharing summary and link to full framework

 You may know that there is proposed NIH reform that has been introduced. I've included a summary of the framework below. 


The full framework can be accessed at this link.

Stakeholders who wish to submit any feedback on the framework or provide additional thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for reform can do so by emailing NIHReform@mail.house.gov by August 16, 2024.

Highlights of Cong. McMorris Rogers and Aderholt’s “Reforming the National Institutes of Health:  Framework for Discussion”
  • Streamlining currently existing 27 NIH ICs into 15 ICs (while preserving current Fiscal 2024 total funding level for NIH at $48b)
    • NCI into NCI (+$581m over FY24 funding level)
    • NHLBI, NIAMS, NIDDK into National Institute on Body Systems Research (+$73m)
    • NIDCR, NINDS, NEI into National Institute on Neuroscience and Brain Research (+$42m)
    • NIAID into two institute, National Institute on Infectious Diseases and National Institute on Immune System and Arthritis
    • NIGMS, NHGRI, NLM into National Institute on General Medical Sciences (+$46m)
    • NICHD, NIDCD into National Institute for Disability Related Research (+$24m)
    • NIA into National Institute on Dementia (+$47m)
    • NIAAA, NIDA into National Institute on Substance Use (+$24m)
    • NIMH into National Institute of Mental Health (+$24m)
    • NIEHS, NIMHD, NINR, FIC into National Institute on Health Sciences Research (+$20m)
    • NCATS, NIBIB, ARPA-H, Common Fund into National Institute on Innovation and Advanced Research (-$973m)
    • NIH Clinical Center into NIH Clinical Center
    • Center for Scientific Review into Center for Scientific Review
    • Center for Information Technology into Center for Information Technology
  • Policy Reform/Recommendations
    • Initiate and complete a comprehensive review of the NIH
    • Support innovation, including by encouraging public-private partnerships
    • Term Limits for IC Directors—limit every IC Director to a 5-year term, with the ability to serve 2 consecutive terms
    • Eliminate silos between ICs
    • Enforce financial disclosure and transparency requirements—require reporting and disclosure of royalty payments and other third-party financial benefits, including support from and affiliations with foreign institutions
    • Address misconduct and expect accountability
    • Improve transparency from partners—consider additional disclosure reporting and transparency requirements for donors, partners and activities supported by Friends of NIH, including any conflicts of interest
  • Funding Reform
    • Restore Congress’ role in direct funding—repeal authorization for the Public Health Service (PHS) Evaluation Set-Aside, aka PHS Evaluation Tap
    • Reexamine indirect costs—consider alternative mechanisms to limit indirect, F&A, costs, such as tying indirect cost rate to a specific percentage of a total grant award, capping indirect costs at a graduated rate dependent on a recipient’s overall NIH funding
    • Demand transparency on indirect costs—require any entity receiving grants or awards to report on their indirect F&A costs
    • Prevent waste and fraud
  • Grant Reform:  Protect against National Security Risks
    • Specific concerns:
      • NIH’s RECOVER Initiative, which continues to face criticism from patient advocates, researchers and lawmakers
      • NIH prone to funding established rather than young, early stage researchers
      • Allegations of manipulated data in NIH-funded published articles
      • NIH’s approval, management and oversight of “gain-of-function” and dual-use research, particularly research involving pathogens with enhanced pandemic potential
      • Laboratory safety and accountability for risky research at the NIH, including experiments involving coronaviruses and influenza
      • Escalating threat of undue and inappropriate foreign influences, as well as direct interference, within US funded research
    • Recommendations:
      • Focus on providing grants and awards only to primary investigators that do not have more than 3 ongoing concurrent NIH engagements
      • Support early-stage investigators, encourage systematic replication studies and prevent research and data fraud
      • Continue prohibition of gain-of-function research
      • Establish independent review entity for the proposed National Institute on Infectious Diseases
      • Ensure primary grantees are complying with all requirements to share and provide access to all relevant and supporting information and documentation related to research conducted by any foreign subgrantee
      • Support independent community review oversight boards
      • Mandate foreign grant reporting
      • Incorporate a specific national security or intelligence community review into grant and award process for grants that involve research occurring by entities designated as foreign adversaires
      • Prevent conflicts of interests
      • Empower HHS permanent authority to immediately suspend, pending investigation, grants determined to be threats to national security
      • Require ethical and judicious standards of care, including appropriate transparency measures, for research involving animals

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