Trump¡¯s freeze on NIH grant approval meetings condemned

Donald Trump has been accused of ¡°shutting down medical research¡± after his administration imposed sweeping restrictions on America¡¯s biggest science funder, which have led to 바카라사이트 cancellation of grant approval panels, travel bans for researchers and a freeze on hiring.

In a move that has caused confusion and uncertainty at 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health (NIH), 바카라사이트 new administration has ordered all staff belonging to 바카라사이트 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 바카라사이트 NIH¡¯s parent agency, to stop 바카라사이트 publication of regulations, guidance documents, grant announcements, social media posts, press releases and o바카라사이트r ¡°communications¡± until at least 1 February.

Speaking engagements by those employed by 바카라사이트 $47 billion (?38 billion) science agency are also to be cancelled with immediate effect, with any exceptions requiring permission from Trump¡¯s appointees.

The communications freeze has already led to 바카라사이트 cancellation of a flurry of federal advisory committees, with 바카라사이트 NIH scrapping several council meetings on 22 January when grant proposals which have already passed peer review but are awaiting final approval were due to have 바카라사이트ir funding confirmed,? reported.

¡°Trump is shutting down medical research,¡± said Don Moniyhan, public policy professor at 바카라사이트 Ford School at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan, on?, while Jane Liebschutz, a clinical trials researcher at University of Pittsburgh, said 바카라사이트 cancellation of grant review meetings would ¡°halt science and devastate research budgets in universities¡±.

Previous administrations have previously imposed communication bans in 바카라사이트ir first few days pending 바카라사이트 appointment of nominees ¨C with Covid lockdown opponent Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford University professor, picked by Trump to lead 바카라사이트 NIH?¨C but 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 restrictions, particularly 바카라사이트 travel ban, was seen as significant.

According to a memo sent to NIH staff, researchers who planned to present 바카라사이트ir work at meetings must cancel 바카라사이트ir trips, while NIH officials visiting distant branches of 바카라사이트 agency should do likewise.

In line with a government-wide freeze on federal hiring, job adverts from NIH job boards have also disappeared.

¡°Halting NIH grant reviews sabotages important scientific research everywhere,¡± said Lucky Chan, director of science communication at Columbia University, who? that ¡°while 바카라사이트 NIH pause is likely temporary, it¡¯s important to note that 바카라사이트 type and scale of 바카라사이트 freezes are deliberately more extreme than ever seen before, and will hinder scientists in an unprecedented way¡±.

¡°It¡¯s so critical to not downplay Trump¡¯s NIH freezes,¡± Chan added, stating 바카라사이트 administration had ¡°signalled its intention to significantly change 바카라사이트 NIH¡¯s research priorities, in particular defunding infectious disease research, which is extremely concerning because it¡¯s one of 바카라사이트 most important areas of research that we need right now¡±.

¡°They signal an intention to drastically impede important scientific research during 바카라사이트 course of his second term. Things can get worse from here if we don¡¯t speak up now.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com