Overview
- The interagency agreement was publicly released and obtained by media on Tuesday, revealing that the Defense Department could access as much as $2 billion in NIH-designated biomedical research funds.
- Reporting says the deal is aimed at moving biodefense and pandemic-preparedness projects at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to DoD control.
- NIH officials say any transfers would be approved case by case, must fit NIH’s mission, and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya stated no funds will move to DoD in the current fiscal year.
- Democratic lawmakers including Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Rosa DeLauro have called for the agreement’s termination, a full accounting of any transfers, and tighter congressional oversight.
- Key details about how money would flow are vague, leaving uncertain impacts on ongoing research and clinical trials and opening the possibility that future Congresses could block or restrict such transfers.