Donald Trump seeks to bring health-research funding under his control, Politico reports

The Trump administration says these cuts are necessary ‌to ensure the government funds only solid science and to reverse years of ​misguided priorities. File | Photo Credit: Reuters 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.The Office of Management ‌and Budget, the White House and the Health and Human Services Department that oversees the NIH did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside regular business hours.The reported move ‌comes amid mounting criticism of the U.S. government’s ​research funding cuts, undertaken last year to target federal spending at major ⁠universities, resulting in the freezing or cancellation ofgrants ⁠at numerous institutions.The Trump administration says these cuts are necessary ‌to ensure the government funds only solid science and to reverse years of ​misguided priorities. Published - September 20, 2026 10:14 am IST