A recent policy shift by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) bars U.S. scientists from using federal grant money to pay foreign collaborators, signaling a worrying trend for international research efforts, particularly in the field of cancer treatment.
New NIH Policy Poses Significant Threat to Global Cancer Research Collaborations
New NIH Policy Poses Significant Threat to Global Cancer Research Collaborations
New restrictions on funding for foreign collaborations could derail critical cancer studies vital for American patients.
The NIH's new directive threatens to halt vital studies aimed at prolonging the lives of women suffering from estrogen-fueled breast cancer. Current research, which includes partnerships with scientists in Denmark, aims to identify patients who are at risk of a life-threatening recurrence after being in remission for ten years or more. This advance identification could allow for timely interventions using already available treatments.
Under new rules enacted earlier this month, the NIH will no longer approve grants that require sub-awards to foreign entities, posing a grave risk to thousands of collaborative research ventures. According to federal health officials, these changes come in response to complexities in tracking payment distributions between domestic and international researchers, an issue highlighted in past reports by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). An NIH official stated, “This lack of visibility is unacceptable and is exactly why radical change is needed,” despite having tightened monitoring systems just two years prior.
The implications of this policy are extensive, as it jeopardizes critical studies that have the potential to lead to groundbreaking cancer treatments and discoveries beneficial to patients not only in the U.S. but globally. The impact on ongoing research collaborations, essential for the health advancements that depend heavily on international partnerships, remains to be fully assessed.
Under new rules enacted earlier this month, the NIH will no longer approve grants that require sub-awards to foreign entities, posing a grave risk to thousands of collaborative research ventures. According to federal health officials, these changes come in response to complexities in tracking payment distributions between domestic and international researchers, an issue highlighted in past reports by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). An NIH official stated, “This lack of visibility is unacceptable and is exactly why radical change is needed,” despite having tightened monitoring systems just two years prior.
The implications of this policy are extensive, as it jeopardizes critical studies that have the potential to lead to groundbreaking cancer treatments and discoveries beneficial to patients not only in the U.S. but globally. The impact on ongoing research collaborations, essential for the health advancements that depend heavily on international partnerships, remains to be fully assessed.
