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NIH Proposes Big Change In How Grant Applications Evaluated
forbes.com • • health
Key Points:
- The NIH under the Trump administration is proposing to stop sharing numerical scores from scientific peer reviews with grant applicants, instead categorizing applications as "Most competitive," "Competitive," or "Not discussed."
- Traditionally, NIH grant applications have been scored by external scientific experts, with scores publicly available to applicants, providing transparency and guidance for resubmission or strategy adjustments.
- The proposal aims to align with the "Unified Funding Strategy," allowing program officials greater discretion to balance various factors beyond peer review scores in funding decisions, though the rationale and working group details remain unclear.
- Critics worry this change could reduce transparency, weaken the role of scientific peer review, and increase political influence over NIH funding decisions, potentially undermining fairness and scientific merit.
- Public comments on this proposal are open until October 13, 2026, and stakeholders in biomedical research are encouraged to respond given the potential impact on funding and research integrity.
