NIH Extramural Nexus (News)

We are sharing upcoming NIH National Advisory Council or Board (NAC) meetings for your awareness. A portion of NAC meeting proceedings are open to the public. Viewers can hear Institute or Center Director remarks, updates on priorities and initiatives, budget overviews, scientific highlights, and concept clearance for future possible funding opportunities.

In June, we sought your feedback on a proposed approach to cap the number of Research Project Grants (RPG) a researcher can be principal investigator on simultaneously (NOT-OD-26-086). The proposal explored whether limits on simultaneous RPG support could contribute to a more balanced research portfolio. Here, we share some high-level outcomes from your thoughtful and helpful comments, which will inform our next steps.

NIH is seeking public comment on proposed changes to the reporting of peer review outcomes for grant applications (NOT-OD-26-088). Comments will be accepted electronically until October 13, 2026.

As part of our efforts to simplify and streamline the landscape of NIH funding opportunities, we are sharing information about upcoming updates to individual career development (K) award programs. 

NIH remains committed to integrity and fairness in peer review, as well as to transparency and listening to the research community. Applicants, reviewers, researchers, and other members of the research community who have concerns about unfair peer review at NIH or potential review integrity concerns can report them to NIH through dedicated channels.

The NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are programs established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers. Applications for FY 2027 Extramural LRP awards will be accepted from September 1 until November 19, 2026.  

On July 28, 2026, the Administration released the U.S. Government Policy for Stopping High-Risk Life Sciences Research, pursuant to Executive Order 14292 on "Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research.” This new government-wide policy defines areas of life sciences research that pose the greatest risk to our nation's security, implements federal funding prohibitions, and establishes a framework for addressing risk and ensuring compliance. 

If you’re planning to apply for an NIH fellowship (F), career development award (K), or training grant (T), staying informed about recent NIH efforts to centralize peer review can help you understand how your application may be assigned and reviewed. 

We invite you to join a conversation between NIH leadership on NIH’s Unified Funding Strategy. Our Unified Funding Strategy is designed to support NIH Institutes and Centers to make informed, transparent, and flexible funding decisions. During their conversation, NIH leadership will clarify the approach’s rationale, goals, and implementation across NIH; address misconceptions; and help foster communication between NIH staff and research community.

What does scientific impact look like today? For decades, measures such as publication counts, citation rates, and grant funding have been primarily used to assess the success of researchers. Yet biomedical research has become increasingly collaborative, interdisciplinary, and data-intensive. Progress often depends on teams of investigators, shared datasets and software, rigorous validation of findings, and sustained mentorship and training efforts.