One day delay in government financing, rescue can climb medical research

In the first days of the second Trump management, an instruction Pause all public communication The Department of Health and Human Services created uncertainty and concern among biomedical researchers suspended in this Directive Main transactions As national health institutions, as many federal agencies, including the importance of science and medicine.

These operations have a recruitment freezing, travel bans and publication rules, guide documents and other communication. The directive also stopped the grant review panels, which determines which research projects financing.

Like The result of these violationsNIH employees noted that the participants of the study or delaying patients in clinical trials, to present research results to scientific journals and delay their abolished business proposals.

Shorter communication freezes It’s not rare in the first days of a new leadership. But the results of a week’s freezing or potentially highlights longer Playing the critical role of the federal government In support of biomedical research. The federal research grants also bring complex processes to the center of attention.

I am a member of the Federal Research Grant View Panel, as well as scientist The process of this inspection passed its projects. My experience with NIH showed me that these panels showed that a decision on the best science to finance a serious investigation and careful research.

How does NIH study units work

Biomedical research is careful and transparent in the center of NIH’s mission to develop) Peer review process. The key is the key to the key to learning – the panels of scientists and theme experts, assessing grant applications for scientific and technical dignity assessments. Are controlled by teaching units Scientific review centerNIH portal for all incoming grant offers.

A typical business unit consists of experiments in relevant areas and consists of a reviewer with a careful examination of any interest in a collision of any interest. These scientists are a mixture of regular members and temporary participants.

I have been serving a service privilege as a regular charter member of a NIH learning unit for several years. This role requires a commitment for four to six years and provides a deep concept of peers review process. In spite of Media reports and Social Media Messages that have been canceled by many other panels, continue as a section meeting planned in February 2025 as planned.

Reviewer Analyze applications using key criteriaThe importance and innovations of research, the expediency and education of investigators, the expediency and event of training and environment will be carried out. Each criterion is being hit and combined with a general impact account. The highest scoring applications are sent to the next stage, where the reviewers meet to discuss and schedule the latest ratings.

Because no system is perfect, NIH, constantly revalues ​​the review process for potential development. For example, in a change proposed in 2024, new presentations of January 25, 2025 will be considered using an updated scoring system that does not assess the investigator and the environment It takes into account these criteria in a general impact account. This change improves the process by focusing on the quality and influence of the study.

Without looking at the award

After Peer Then The appeals exceed to NIH’s financing institutions and centers Institute of National Allergy and Infectious Diseases or National Cancer InstituteProgram officials evaluate the conformity of applications in the applications with the priorities and budgets of institutions.

A second opinion is carried out a per- Advisory Boards It consists of scientists, clinicians and public representatives. In my experience, the learning section and comments usually carry the largest weight. It is also considered in the decisions of public health needs, policy directives and policy directives and some kind of research are not extremely high than other areas. These factors can change in the administrative priorities in turn.

Although the grant awards are usually administrative ice cream or budget uncertainty, it is declared a few months later than the summer. Last year About $ 40 billion According to biomedical research, more than 300,000 researchers in more than 2,500 universities in the United States have increased almost 50,000 competition grants

It is a highly competitive process to get federal financing for the study. On average, only 1 in the application of 5 grants is funded.

Results of the administrative ice cream

The initial freezing of the Trump Administration federal research has stopped some steps in the grant review process. Some educational sections have been postponed for an indefinite period of time, and the program employees encountered delays in the application. Some research teams that rely on NIH financing for continuing projects can face potentially cash flow problems to restore research activities or temporarily re-determine.

In February, the meeting of its research department is still planned, I believe these breaks are temporary. This is the actor of the HHS Secretary Dorothy Fink, the last tracking memory that states that the directive will be the directive In effect from February 1.

The important thing is to emphasize the fragility of the pipeline financing pipeline and the cascading effects of administrative uncertainty. Early Career Scientists who often rely on time to grant prizes for the creation of laboratories especially sensitiveConcerns about the sustainability of workforce in the field of biomedical research are growing.

While the NIH and the research community toured these breaks, it is served to remind the critical significance of stable and predictable financing systems in this chapter. There is biomedical research in the United States Bipartisan support as a historical. It is very important to maintain human health development mission, scientific innovation and public health from political or administrative turbulence.

Aliasger K. SalemPharmaceutical Sciences Research and Professor Assistant, Iowa University

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