ANALYSIS: Groups say grants should remain with ‘neutral’ NIH staffers – but nearly all support Democrats
Nearly all donations from National Institutes of Health employees went to Democratic candidates or aligned political action committees, a College Fix analysis found.
The findings come as higher education groups and other liberal advocacy organizations criticize the Trump administration for proposed changes to how research grants are distributed.
The proposed change would require grants to align with the political priorities of the administration in charge at the time. However, some groups argue that decisions should be made by ostensibly neutral bureaucrats, not a president’s political appointees.
Federal research grants, like those from the NIH, should use a “neutral program definition,” the Association of American Universities argued in a public comment. The new grant policy would “inject political and ideological considerations into decisions that have historically been based on scientific merit, programmatic objectives established by Congress, and agency expertise,” the group warned.
Yet across the board, NIH employees support Democrats. And that holds true for the supposedl...