A forthcoming executive order would establish a committee to review National Institutes of Health grant applications, according to reports by the Washington Post and Politico. The proposal was discussed during a Friday meeting attended by senior administration officials, including Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. The panel would be tasked with evaluating biomedical research funding that aligns with the administration's priorities, potentially allowing it to block awards deemed inconsistent with the president's agenda. Vought and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya would serve on the board, which would require unanimous decisions on grant allocations. Critics argue that the initiative departs from the NIH's longstanding practice of assessing proposals based on scientific merit alone. Bhattacharya has publicly defended the agency's grant-making process, while Vought has indicated a desire to reshape federal spending priorities. The development follows a class-action lawsuit filed by researchers who allege that the administration is using funding decisions to suppress viewpoints it opposes, a claim the administration denies. Since the start of the current presidential term, substantial federal funding across health, environmental and disaster relief sectors has been reduced or suspended, with particular scrutiny directed at research projects containing keywords such as 'equity' or 'climate change.' The Department of Health and Human Services and the White House have not yet responded to requests for comment.