NIH mulls grant cap to broaden funding across universities

NIH officials are evaluating a proposal that would limit the number of research grants any single investigator can receive. The goal is to spread federal funding more evenly across institutions.

Researchers at state schools and smaller universities often lack direct access to field leaders and high-end laboratory equipment, making it harder for them to compete for NIH awards.

Lawrence Tabak, the agency’s acting director, said he has been impressed by talented young scientists at many campuses, but the current concentration of grants hampers their potential.

The cap idea has been discussed repeatedly as a mechanism to distribute resources more broadly and support a wider range of investigators.