Statement  Monday, August 25, 2025

Maximizing and Safeguarding NIH’s Investment in Foreign Collaborations

The health, safety, and well-being of Americans, and people worldwide, are more interconnected than ever.  Seeking fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability, is the mission of the NIH.  As part of this mission, the agency conducts and supports international research because responsible global collaboration can drive scientific progress.

However, NIH is not a foreign aid organization and support of international research should deliver both scientific and taxpayer value, as NIH is also tasked with being good stewards of U.S. taxpayer dollars.

To that end, NIH is establishing a set of fundamental principles to guide our research collaborations abroad.

1. All research supported at international sites should have a clear scientific rationale to be conducted in a foreign country rather than in the United States.
2. All research supported at international sites should have direct potential to generate knowledge applicable to understanding, improving, or protecting the health of Americans.

Furthermore, NIH must guard against misuse of its funding and resources, and the agency must pursue such collaborations judiciously, acknowledging that risks may not always be immediately apparent. Therefore, knowing exactly where every dollar is going and to whom is of paramount importance

Finally, NIH is not only a catalyst for science and health, but also a driver of U.S. economic growth. As NIH evaluates international research portfolio, we must recognize the varied ways our work benefits the American public.

Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, NIH

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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