The Trump administration is trying to consolidate its control over biomedical research

The Donald Trump administration is considering creating an outside commission that could have veto power over grants awarded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), according to anonymous sources cited by Politico, The New York Times and The Washington Post. The measure would strengthen the White House’s control over medical research following drastic cuts to federal funding, particularly for biomedical research.

Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget and one of the administration’s ideologues, allegedly argued that the NIH funds projects contrary to the values promoted by President Donald Trump. The proposal has been criticized by research organizations. Russ Paulsen, president of the Research!America alliance, warned that the involvement of additional officials could considerably slow medical progress.

The plan comes amid accusations of pressure being exerted on academic and research freedom. In mid-September, several American researchers sued the NIH, claiming that the institute had blocked funding for studies on diversity, gender identity and climate change. The affected projects also include research into the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in understudied communities.