Search Results: nih
Call for Nominations: AAPSS 2027 Moynihan Prize
The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) announced they are currently accepting nominations for the 2027 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize in Social Science and Public Policy. The Moynihan Prize is an annual honor created to recognize social scientists, public officials, and civic leaders who advance the public good through informed judgment and the application of social science research to policy and practice. The winner will deliver the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture on Social Science and Public Policy in Washington, DC, next fall. Nominations must be submitted by November 1, 2026. Find more information about the Moynihan Price and submission details…
Battacharya Defends NIH Budget to Senate Appropriators
On May 21, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) defended the NIH fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget request before the Senate Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee. During the hearing, Bhattacharya fielded concerns from both sides of the aisle about the Trump Administrationâs proposed 12 percent cut to the agency (see analysis). In her opening remarks, Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) voiced her support for NIH-funded research, and highlighted the importance of cancer research and supporting rural communities. When remarks turned to Ranking Member Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), the Senator pressed the Director…
Nominations Open for 2026 NIH Matilda White Riley Honoree
The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is now accepting nominations for outstanding behavioral and social scientists as Distinguished Lecturer candidates at the 19th Matilda White Riley Honors. The Matilda White Riley Honors are an annual event recognizing transformative work in the fields of social and behavioral science along with early-career researchers. Nominees should have a research career that has âadvanced behavioral and social scientific knowledge in areas within NIHâs mission and that expands upon Dr. White Rileyâs work.â More information is available on the OBSSR website. Nominee information should be saved…
NIH Requesting Comments on Strategic Plan
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a request for information (RFI) asking for stakeholder comments on the proposed framework for the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FYs) 2027-2031 slated for an FY 2027 release. Rather than focus on specific research opportunities or institute initiatives, NIH releases a strategic plan every five years to highlight the achievements of the agency and set broader priorities. The proposed framework for the new strategic plan highlights several goals, including improving foundational knowledge of human health and disease, addressing public health challenges across the lifespan, developing and advancing interventions, treatments, and cures, improving infrastructure and…
House Appropriations Committee Holds NIH Oversight Hearing
On March 17, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with testimony from Director Jay Bhattacharya. The hearing comes after Bhattacharya testified in front of the Senate Health, Education, and Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee in February (see previous coverage). Bhattacharya, who has also been serving as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Acting Director since February in addition to his role as NIH Director, fielded questions on a variety of topics, including the Trump Administrationâs delays in grant distribution, indirect costs,…
NIH Director Bhattacharya Testifies Before Congress on Modernizing the Agency
On February 3, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jayanta Bhattacharya appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee to discuss Modernizing the National Institutes of Health: Faster Discoveries, More Cures . During the hearing, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chairman of the Committee, expressed a bipartisan concern over the unprecedented NIH grant award cancellations in the last year, a lack of public trust in the NIH and science institutions, as well as national and personal health security risks. This hearing comes nearly two years since Cassidyâs release of a white paper on recommendations to improve the NIH in 2024 (see previous…
NIH Reclassifies Basic Experimental Studies Involving Humans
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that Basic Experimental Studies Involving Humans (BESH) will no longer be classified as clinical trials under the NIH Clinical Trial Definition. The change applies to applications submitted on or after May 25, 2026. NIH originally expanded its clinical trial definition in 2014 to include BESH as part of an effort to improve transparency and results reporting. The revised definition meant that social and behavioral science research funded by NIH that involved human subjects would need to abide by the same reporting rules as studies more traditionally viewed as clinical trials. The move was controversial at the time…
NIH Requests Public Input on New Human Data Protection Policies
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking public comment on a proposed update to its human research data policies, including a new NIH Controlled-Access Data Policy and revisions to the NIH Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy. According to the request for information (RFI), the goal is to strengthen privacy and security protections, clarify requirements, and reduce duplicative burdens across NIH programs. The proposed Controlled-Access Data Policy would define which human participant data must be shared through controlled-access systems, including personal identifiers, genomic and other âomicsâ data, health and financial information, facial imaging, and individual-level clinical trial data. It would also establish consistent security and…
CRS Reports Explain Recent Changes to NIH Grantmaking
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) recently released reports explaining some of the notable changes in grants policy at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). CRS is a component of the Library of Congress and is required by law to provide Members of Congress and staff with timely, confidential, and nonpartisan research and analysis on issues of national policy, as requested. Reports do not provide policy recommendations, but instead, ensure that Members of Congress are given the best possible information on which they can base policy decisions. While directed at Congress, many CRS reports are publicly available and can serve as…
ICYMI: NIH Modifies Funding Strategy, Moves Away from Paylines
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a notice on November 21 outlining a framework for âImplementing a Unified NIH Funding Strategy to Guide Consistent and Clearer Award Decisions.â The notice follows on an August statement from the NIH Director. The framework describes a need to âbalance many competing and dynamic factors when determining the most meritorious research ideas to support,â such as peer review, availability of funds, and health priorities, among others. Starting with the January 2026 Councils, all NIH institutes and centers (ICs) will be expected to follow the same funding policies, including the following core tenets: In addition, the notice…
NIH Senior Officials Terminated After Administrative Leave
Five senior officials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been officially terminated after having been placed on administrative leave earlier this year. These include: Jeanne Marrazzo, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Diana Bianchi, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Eliseo PĂ©rez-Stable, director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Shannon Zenk, director of the National Institute of Nursing Research; and Tara Schwetz, NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. The affected institutes have been led by acting directors since March.
Register Now: AAPSS 2025 Moynihan Lecture
This fall, the American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS), a COSSA member, will award the 2025 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize to distinguished scholar on Ukraine and European authoritarianism, Timothy Snyder. This annual prize honors âsocial scientists, public officials, and civic leadersâ who use âinformed judgement to advance the public good.â Every year, the winner of the Moynihan Prize gives the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture in Washington D.C. Snyder will deliver this yearâs lecture on October 30, followed by a conversation with Executive Director of the Womenâs Foreign Policy Group, Alexa Chopivsky. If you are interested in attending this event, please…
NIH Grant Terminations Upheld, For Now
On August 21, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump Administration can once again terminate grants funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A district court overturned the original terminations in June as part of a lawsuit brought by higher education and public health associations and 16 states; however, the Supreme Court found that the district court does not have jurisdiction over the terminations. Instead, the ruling states that plaintiffs must file suit in Federal Claims court in order to receive a final decision. A similar ruling was issued in August related to grants terminated by the National Science Foundation (NSF). While the ruling leaves federal funding…
Senate Releases Spending Bills, Republican Senators Push Back Against NIH Funding Delays
Before departing for August Recess, the Senate advanced several bills through the Appropriations Committee, including the Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) bill, and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) bill (previous COSSA coverage). Both the Senate CJS and LHHS bills included relatively flat funding levels, rejecting the draconian cuts proposed by the Trump Administration earlier this year (see COSSAâs analysis). Notably, on July 31, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a mark-up for the LHHS bill in which several amendments were offered, including Senator Dick Durbinâs (D-IL) call for the Trump Administration to restore all grants that had been terminated. The…
ICYMI: NIH Implements Public Access Policy
On July 1, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) adopted their new Public Access Policy in response to the August 2022 memorandum issued by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The memorandum requires federal agencies to make peer-reviewed publications, resulting from federal funding, freely available to the public immediately following publication (see previous COSSA coverage). Manuscripts published after July 1 will be required to follow the new guidelines. NIH has developed a website to help researchers with the transition process.
NIH Suspends Gain of Function Research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a notice to inform the biomedical research community of a termination of funding for gain-of-function research outside of the U.S. and a suspension of funding for any other projects or programs relating to gain-of-function research. Gain-of-function research has been a point of contention for many Congressional Republicans since the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the research (see previous COSSA coverage). The notice, which was prompted by a guidance to NIH by the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP), is in-line with the Administrationâs Executive Order (EO) on Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research,…
AAPSS Calls for Nominations for 2026 Moynihan Prize
The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) has announced their call for nominations for the 2026 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize in Social Science and Public Policy. The Moynihan Prize is an annual honor created to recognize social scientists, public officials, and civic leaders who champion the use of informed judgment to advance the public good. The winner will deliver the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lecture on Social Science and Public Policy in Washington, DC, next fall. Nominations will be accepted through November 1, 2025 and can be submitted on the AAPSS website. AAPSS is a COSSA member organization. Learn more about the Moynihan…
Bhattacharya Defends NIH Budget Request to Senate Appropriators
As the Congressional appropriations process continues, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was invited to defend the Presidentâs FY 2026 before the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations subcommittee (see COSSAâs analysis). Under the Presidentâs budget, the NIH would see steep budget cuts and a major restructuring that would reduce the institutes and centers (ICs) from 27 to 8. Throughout the hearing, Bhattacharya fielded questions on the impacts of these proposals on the research community and dismissed concerns, claiming that the proposal is the starting point of a budget…
NIH Employees Outline Concerns in âBethesda Declarationâ
On June 9, more than 340 scientists and staff at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a statement criticizing their agencyâs leadership for politicizing research. The âBethesda Declaration,â which as of today includes 484 signatories, urges NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and other leaders to reverse course on budget reductions, workforce terminations, elimination of research related to DEI, undermining of the peer review process, and instituting a blanket 15 percent indirect cost rate, among others. It is exceptionally rare for federally employees to publicly protest and criticize their own agency. In response, an open letter in support of the Bethesda Declaration has…