How NIH went from 756 funding announcements to 14 in two years — and what it means for every disease that depends on federal research
How NIH went from 756 funding announcements to 14 in two years — and what it means for every disease that depends on federal research
I Wrote Research Funding Announcements for NIH for 22 Years. This Year They’ve Published 14
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When NIH stops issuing targeted funding announcements, specific kinds of research become much harder to sustain.
Rare disease research suffers because individual investigators are unlikely to propose studies on conditions affecting small populations unless NIH signals it is a priority and has dedicated funding. Research on health disparities struggles for the same reason. Studies requiring particular methodologies, specific patient populations, or coordination across multiple sites all depend on NOFOs that describe exactly what NIH is looking for and commit resources to support it.
Emerging threats become harder to address quickly. When COVID-19 emerged, NIH issued emergency funding announcements within weeks. Those NOFOs allowed the agency to mobilize researchers rapidly toward specific problems: vaccine development, therapeutic testing, long-term effects, vulnerable populations. Without the ability to issue targeted calls, response to future health emergencies will be slower and less coordinated.
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