#nih-policy

#nih-policy

Many researchers are surprised and relieved over an unusual step taken by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH): the agency is rolling back the red tape on a host of basic-science experiments that involved human participants and had been classified as clinical trials. The decision, which was announced on 29 January and is part of a broader NIH effort to reduce administrative burden, should free such research from the heavy bureaucratic requirements that are designed for clinical trials but are sometimes ill-suited to other fields, such as basic psychology and behavioural studies.

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) will continue to fund research on fetal tissue from miscarriages and stillbirths, according to an announcement made on 22 January. But researchers say the new restrictions, which were applauded by opponents of abortion, will make it more difficult to study fetal development and stem cell biology, and will slow the hunt for new medical treatments.

January 22, 2026 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm The National Institutes of Health's move to end support for research using fetal human tissue is clearly a political decision, not a scientific one, one expert says By Dan Vergano edited by Claire Cameron National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya speaks at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington, D.C., in 2025.