NIH to use part of its budget to pay for Department of Defense research
Summary
Ars Technica reports that the NIH plans to divert part of its budget to fund Department of Defense research, specifically to support advanced development of medical countermeasures against pandemic and other biological threats. The interagency agreement would move funds from the NIH's NIAID budget over a ten-year period, with the exact amount not specified, amid discussions of potential DoD budget sharing. The article highlights political controversy over bypassing congressional approval, budgetary implications, and questions about the long-term impact on NIH biodefense priorities.