The Biden administration has initiated measures to prevent political interference at the National Institutes of Health if Donald Trump wins the upcoming presidential election.
Erin Schumaker reports for POLITICO.
In short:
- The Biden administration fears Trump could advance an ideological agenda at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- A new scientific integrity council will be established to monitor and address political meddling.
- Other health agencies, like the CDC and FDA, are also strengthening their scientific integrity plans.
Key quote:
“Interfering and manipulating science to hit a partisan agenda is inappropriate and is what we’re working to wall against.”
— Lyric Jorgenson, NIH's designated scientific integrity official
Why this matters:
The new policies aim to ensure that scientific decisions at the NIH are driven by evidence and peer-reviewed research rather than political agendas. By reinforcing protocols that promote transparency and accountability, the administration hopes to create a robust firewall against any attempts to undermine the agency’s work. This is particularly relevant given past controversies during the Trump administration, where allegations of political meddling in scientific agencies were rampant.
