Russel Vought will reportedly be given veto power over all NIH grants
Pending move comes over the objections of the NIH director.
The Washington Post has reported on a contentious White House meeting where NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya attempted to prevent another attempt to place funding decisions under political control. This move was led by Russell Vought, the head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), who has sought to limit and control research funds.
The Post suggested that Bhattacharya ultimately lost the fight. The leak, confirmed by outlets like The New York Times and Politico, now indicates that the administration is drafting an executive order granting Vought veto power over every individual grant awarded by the NIH. The NIH is the largest funder of biomedical research globally, with a $47 billion budget larger than the next ten research funders combined.
Its funding, primarily through grants to academic researchers at universities, supports a wide range of research from basic biological research to clinical trials, greatly benefiting the biotechnology industry.
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