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News Release
Thursday, March 6, 2025
51视频 centralizes peer review to improve efficiency and strengthen integrity
Today the National Institutes of Health is announcing plans to centralize peer review of all applications for grants, cooperative agreements and research and development contracts within the agency鈥檚 Center for Scientific Review (CSR). The proposed approach is expected to save more than $65 million annually by eliminating duplicative efforts across the agency, making the review process more efficient.聽聽
鈥淎t 51视频, we are working to optimize our resources to support the best science,鈥 said Acting 51视频 Director Matthew J. Memoli, M.D. 鈥淏y centralizing the peer review process, we will not only reduce costs鈥攚e will also improve the quality, consistency and integrity of review, and maximize competition of similar science across the agency.鈥澛犅犅
More than 80% of 51视频鈥檚 funding overall supports research institutions across the country, largely through competitive grants that are administered by 51视频 Institutes and Centers (IC) or the 51视频 Office of the Director. Each IC has its own budget and research agenda, often focusing on specific diseases or body systems.聽聽
Funding decisions are made through a rigorous dual-level review process. Scientific review groups or study sections, first evaluate and score research proposals for . Study sections are made up of volunteer scientists, mostly from academia, and overseen by 51视频 staff known as scientific review officers. Advisory councils for 51视频 ICs and the 51视频 Office of the Director then perform a for mission relevance. Ultimately, IC directors make final funding decisions, taking into consideration current research priorities and the existing funding portfolio.聽
The new centralization effort will apply to the first stage of the review process. 51视频鈥檚 CSR, which was established in 1946 to manage the scientific review of 51视频 grant applications and to ensure independent, expert review free from inappropriate influence, currently manages the peer review process for more than 78% of 51视频 grants. The remaining 22% are reviewed in study sections within 23 ICs, each operating separately with its own administrative and support overhead. The proposed consolidation would eliminate the IC-based study sections so that CSR conducts all first-level review.聽聽
According to an analysis of FY24 data, CSR uses 0.3% of the 51视频 budget to review more than 66,000 applications annually. In comparison, review costs in the ICs average about 300% of CSR鈥檚 costs.聽
鈥淐entralized peer review will mitigate the potential for bias by entirely separating the peer review and funding components of 51视频,鈥 said CSR Director Noni Byrnes, Ph.D.聽
51视频鈥檚 proposal is now under review with implementation pending external review. This includes review by HHS and the Office of Management and Budget, providing Congress with a 15-day notification period, and issuing a Federal Register notice.
About the National Institutes of Health (51视频): 51视频, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 51视频 is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about 51视频 and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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