- Start
- Sep 22, 202690% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
- End
- Sep 25, 202690% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
The White House Weighs, Then Backs Away From, an Order Giving OMB a Veto Over NIH Grants
- The White House reportedly planned to give political appointees, in particular OMB Director Russell Vought, more control over which NIH grants are selected, adding a political review layer to the merit-based system[1]
- Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins warned on 22 September 2026 that the proposed executive order could compromise NIH's merit review, and there was bipartisan pushback in Congress[1]
- The Cancer Letter reported on 25 September that the White House "considered, but ultimately abandoned" a plan to create a panel to review NIH grants and weed out projects it regards as "woke"[2]
- The administration "has not abandoned the idea of changing how NIH research dollars are awarded", and Congress moved to block a similar OMB proposal through a provision in the FY2027 continuing resolution[1]
- The American Medical Association warned that political review could lead to meritorious research being rejected "based on its topic, the populations it studies or how the work is characterized"[1]
References 285% CONFIDENCEOverall confidence: 85%How well the pin's source and references back up its dates.Weighted average of how firmly 2 references, the source included, support the pin's start and end times; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newestShow all pins at 75% confidence or better
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- [1]90%healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/09/nih-funding-faces-political-scrutiny-what-nowhealthjournalism.org· Posted Oct 1, 2026· Starts Sep 22, 2026 ✓· Ends Sep 25, 2026 ✓· 51% of score
The Association of Health Care Journalists reports that Collins raised the alarm on 22 September 2026, and The Cancer Letter[2] (25 September) reports the administration considered and abandoned the panel.
- [2]80%Trump weighs - and abandons - an executive order that would give OMB veto power over NIH grants - The Cancer Lettercancerletter.com· Published Sep 25, 2026· 49% of score
Cancer-research newsletter reporting that the White House considered and dropped a grant-review panel.[1]
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