Trump admin moves to politicize NIH grant officials, stripping job protections

The White House issued an executive order that reclassifies thousands of civil‑service positions as political appointments under the so‑called Schedule F. The change would allow the administration to fire those workers more easily.

The order targets roughly 8,000 merit‑based roles, including many senior staff who manage the review and distribution of NIH research grants. Those officials have traditionally been protected from political turnover.

Scientists and policy analysts warned that the move could make the grant‑making process vulnerable to political pressure and undermine the long‑term stability needed for biomedical research.