The AAMC submitted an Oct. 27 letter responding to a request for information issued by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, MD, (R-La.) regarding “ways to reform the National Institutes of Health (NIH).”
Responding to a series of questions on the NIH’s grantmaking processes, the research workforce, and transparency, the AAMC’s letter outlined existing efforts underway at the agency to address ongoing challenges, clarified the purpose of various policies and/or practices, and suggested areas where Congress, versus the NIH itself, may be best positioned to bolster the enterprise. Among other feedback, the letter highlighted opportunities to promote data sharing, support academic-industry collaborations, study and replicate successful models to broaden participation in NIH research, and harmonize regulatory requirements to minimize excessive and unproductive administrative burden. The letter also emphasized the need to promote sustained, robust growth in NIH funding and stability in the budget and to ensure opportunities to phase in or pilot any new innovations through a phased, deliberative process when possible.
According to the announcement for the request, Cassidy “hopes to use the feedback to identify policies for future legislative efforts to reform the NIH.”