HHS Asking for Changes in NIH-Funded Research

The Department of Health and Human Services is now reviewing all grants approved by its National Institutes of Health, and HHS staff “sometimes ask for substantive changes in the research,” Science reported, citing documents and anonymous NIH sources.

Science wrote that this extra review, which apparently started in April, applies to proposed grants and continuing ones up for renewal. The journal reported that it doesn’t seem common for HHS to actually demand changes, and it’s unaware of “any specific proposal that was not funded as a result,” but it listed a few examples of the changes requested.

“In a project studying factors contributing to depression using many years of observational data from large cohorts, the HHS review recommended adding genetic influences,” the journal reported. “The project was in its fourth year, when such changes were likely not feasible.”

The reporting comes as President Trump has ordered political appointees to take charge of approving, denying and terminating new and already-awarded grants across the federal government.

Last week, the White House Office of Management and Budget proposed a rule that says, “Federal agencies must perform pre-issuance reviews to ensure that federal award proposals selected for funding are consistent with applicable law, federal agency priorities, and the national interest,” and “Federal agencies heads [sic] must designate one or more senior appointees” to review “all discretionary awards.” The proposal, which is currently open for public comment, also seeks to buttress the administration’s ability to terminate grants for “discretionary” reasons.