What politicizing medical research may cost us

By Lisa Jarvis / Bloomberg Opinion

The Trump administration, seemingly determined to dismantle the National Institutes of Health, continues to devise new and insidious ways to politicize what has long been considered the crown jewel of U.S. research.

The latest move? An effort to codify political oversight of the agency’s operations and impose abrupt and far-reaching changes to how research funding is allocated.

That’s left academic researchers — already at the mercy of a mercurial administration — in a constant state of uncertainty, wondering when their work might be targeted next. It’s also shrinking the scope of science the NIH is willing to support and making the U.S. a far less attractive place for pursuing biomedical innovation. The long-term consequence? A slowdown in discoveries that could meaningfully improve patients’ lives.

Since January, the Trump administration has repeatedly blindsided universities. More than 80 percent of the NIH’s $48 billion budget supports academic research — funding distributed through a rigorous, well-established system — one that Office of Budget and Management Director Russell Vought appears intent on upending.

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