White House reportedly shelves NIH grant executive order

The Trump administration is reportedly backing away from a planned executive order that would have granted the president and political appointees greater influence over National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant decision-making. The proposed order would have potentially allowed for a commission to block research grants that did not align with the administration's political agenda.

The reversal follows significant pressure from members of Congress. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) urged the Office of Management and Budget and the NIH to abandon the executive order in favor of legislative proposals. Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington) also expressed support for protecting research funding from political interference.

While the immediate threat of the specific order has been shelved, uncertainty remains for the medical research community. A separate grant rule proposed by the White House budget office is still pending, and it is unclear if a different version of the order might be released in the future. NIH grants are critical for research into cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and rare disorders.