Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, Releases Whitepaper Considering NIH Modernization

Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), last week released a white paper about the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including proposals to maximize the effectiveness of current NIH funding, sustain the nation’s international competitiveness in biomedical research, and restore public trust in science. The white paper is a response to the senator’s September 2023 request for information (RFI) on NIH Reform.

The paper synthesizes feedback from the RFI, including: NIH’s basic research portfolio; research redundancies and duplication; application and peer review processes; public-private partnerships; the biomedical research workforce; research integrity; and grant management processes.

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) submitted comments in response to the RFI in October. ACR’s responses related to: prioritizing fundamental research while improving outcomes for translational and clinical projects; the conduct of clinical research; and the funding approach of salaries of extramural investigators. ACR was able to provide a unique perspective; it historically is a leader in the radiology clinical trial space, helping to develop and implement new prevention, diagnosis and treatment approaches at a faster pace for a variety of diseases and disorders. ACR welcomes potential collaborations with the HELP Committee.

For more information, contact Katie Grady, ACR Government Affairs Director.