The National Institutes of Health (NIH) seeks to consolidate its Center for Scientific Review (CSR) and centralize peer review of all applications for grants, cooperative agreements, and research and development contracts in an effort to save $65 million annually.
In particular, eliminating NIH Institutes and Centers will cut duplicative efforts, the NIH said March 6. More than 80% of NIH’s funding supports research institutions across the U.S., largely through competitive grants administered by Institutes and Centers or by the NIH Office of the Director, according to the agency.
The NIH’s proposed consolidation would eliminate the Institutes and Centers-based study sections so that CSR would conduct all first-level review of applications. The Institutes and Centers have their own budgets and research agendas, often focusing on specific diseases or body systems, the NIH said.
According to an analysis of fiscal year 2024 data, CSR uses 0.3% of the NIH budget to review more than 66,000 applications annually. In comparison, review costs for Institutes and Centers average about 300% of CSR’s costs, the NIH reported.
The NIH’s proposal is now under review with implementation pending external review. This includes review by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Management and Budget, providing Congress with a 15-day notification period, and issuing a Federal Register notice.