GoKawiilNIH moves to shift hundreds of millions in infectious-disease research to Pentagon
Two NIH employees say the agency has signed an agreement with the Department of Defense to transfer research projects, currently valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, from its infectious-diseases institute to military biodefence programs. The NIH is reportedly still selecting which projects to hand over and hopes to finalize the deal before the fiscal year ends in September, when certain funds would otherwise expire. NIH officials describe the move as separating civilian public-health work from defense-related priorities, while a former top HHS lawyer questions whether simply redirecting funds between agencies in this way is legally permissible.