NIH proposes major revamp of how it scores research grant proposals
Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02584-4 Proponents argue that the current system creates a false sense of precision, but critics fear that the change could increase political interference.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced plans to fundamentally change its approach to evaluating and reporting on research grant proposals. For five decades, the agency has provided scientists with exact numerical scores for their project proposals after they have been reviewed by peers. However, the NIH now intends to categorize these proposals into three broader groups - top, middle and bottom - based on their merit rather than precise scores.
The new system will reduce the level of detail provided to researchers about the specific scores their proposals received.
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