Donald Trump seeks to bring health-research funding under his control, Politico reports
President Trump is reportedly planning an executive order to create a board that would oversee and approve National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants. This move would grant political appointees direct control over federal health research funding.
Why it matters
This represents a significant shift in how federal scientific research is funded and could lead to increased political influence over public health priorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to bring a major part of national funding for health research under the control of his political appointees, Politico reported on Saturday (September 20, 2026).
Mr. Trump has directed his budget director, Russ Vought, to draft an executive order to create a board that would decide which grants would be funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the news outlet said, citing two administration officials familiar with the meeting.
The board would include NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and Mr. Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, and would be required to reach unanimous decisions on grant awards, the report said.
The proposed arrangement would give Mr. Vought a direct role in determining how the health research agency distributes its congressionally-appropriated money, the report added.
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