Proposed Oversight Board
President Trump intends to create, via a new executive order, an external supervisory body empowered to veto NIH grant awards. The initiative reflects the administration’s ongoing effort to filter research themes that do not align with the president’s vision. Reports indicate senior officials discussed the plan in a Friday meeting, accusing the NIH of supporting projects deemed „woke” and contrary to Trump’s priorities.
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Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), along with other officials, drafted the order that would form a committee capable of exercising a veto over biomedical research grants. The committee would consist of Vought and Jay Bhattacharya, the current NIH director, and funding decisions would require unanimous approval. While the OMB implements presidential policy across the executive branch, creating an external panel that evaluates grants on ideological grounds departs from the traditional merit‑based review process.
Internal Conflict
Tensions have risen because Bhattacharya has opposed cuts to federal research spending and defended the existing grant‑allocation mechanism, whereas Vought seeks a sweeping restructuring of federal expenditures. The proposal emerges amid a class‑action lawsuit filed by researchers who claim the Trump administration is blocking or terminating scientific grants to silence viewpoints that clash with the president’s ideology. Plaintiffs allege First Amendment violations, arguing the government cannot use funding power to target or suppress dissenting voices in the biomedical community.
Funding Cuts Since 2021
Since taking office for a second term, billions of dollars in federal health‑related grants—including those for nutrition, environment, and disaster assistance—have been reduced or frozen. Projects containing terms such as „equity,” „racist,” „gender,” or „climate change” have been flagged for limited funding access. The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the NIH, and the White House have not provided immediate comment to clarify the situation.