NE Washington News

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), representing the Health and Oversight Subcommittee Republicans, have reached out to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica Bertagnolli. They have requested the NIH to verify by May 14, 2024, whether the agency has adhered to White House guidance to cease funding projects led by researchers and entities in Russia.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued guidelines on June 11, 2022, specifying that projects and programs initiated or funded before Russia's further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 could be completed, but new projects in affected areas should not be initiated. The OSTP urged relevant departments and agencies to limit interactions with the leadership of Russian government-affiliated universities and research institutions, as well as individuals who have openly supported the invasion of Ukraine.

According to an article in The Washington Times dated April 9, 2023, the NIH’s Office of Extramural Research stated, "NIH currently does not fund any research in Russia." However, as of April 5, 2024, the Data Abyss tracker for the OSTP Russia guidance on federal funding agencies has identified around 240 potential instances of problematic research collaborations by the NIH since June 2022 that do not align with the guidance.

The Republicans from the Energy and Commerce Committee have taken a proactive approach by seeking clarification from the NIH regarding its funding practices in light of the White House guidelines. It is essential for agencies like the NIH to ensure compliance with such directives to maintain transparency and accountability in their research funding processes.