NIH Has 15 of 27 Institutes Led by Acting Directors

Fifteen of the 27 institutes at the National Institutes of Health are currently led by acting directors. The shortage of permanent leadership has limited long-term project planning and funding assurances for researchers.

Institute directors are appointed on five-year terms. Before the current administration, no director had failed to be renewed, but several directors have been removed. Many of the acting directors are former deputy directors of those institutes. A former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences said being an institute director involves more policy work, interactions with Congress, and staff management than the deputy role.

Three directors have been appointed: the head of the National Cancer Institute, the head of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the head of the NIH Clinical Center.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has called for external scientists on search committees and quarterly briefings on hiring status. The NIH director stated at a March hearing that a process is in place to hire directors starting this month. The NIH director is scheduled to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

A former senior NIH official said the appointment process now involves more interference than in previous administrations.