Statement  Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Announcement: Release of the U.S. Government Policy for Stopping High-Risk Life Sciences Research

During my confirmation hearing, I pledged to the American public that I would implement strong and transparent oversight of NIH-supported research. Today, I am pleased to announce an important milestone in fulfilling that commitment: the Federal Government has issued the U.S. Government Policy for Stopping High-Risk Life Sciences Research. This groundbreaking government-wide policy establishes, for the first time, an explicit prohibition on dangerous gain-of-function research which can significantly endanger American lives and pose substantial risk to our Nation’s security.

The new U.S. Government-wide policy represents a paradigm shift in federal oversight by adopting a comprehensive, risk-based framework supported by strong enforcement, accountability, and transparency measures. In addition to the ban on federal support for dangerous gain-of-function research, the policy introduces enhanced review and reporting requirements for all life sciences research, including independent, top-down assessments for projects that may increase the harmful consequences of biological agents.

The policy also strengthens global safeguards by instituting new international restrictions, including banning life sciences research involving certain countries or entities and prohibiting high-risk work in countries lacking adequate oversight.

All researchers and institutions engaged in life sciences work should review this critical policy in detail. NIH will collaborate closely with interagency partners and the biomedical research community to support robust implementation.

Finally, it is essential that all scientists continue to foster a culture of thoughtful evaluation of both the benefits and risks of every experiment — whether or not it meets a high-risk classification. Even with strong safeguards, work involving biological agents can carry inherent risk, and it is our collective responsibility to prevent the most dangerous research while ensuring that NIH-supported science continues to protect and improve the health and well-being of the American public.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
NIH Director

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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