UC Comment Letters

This comment letter responds to NIH's RFI on a proposed simplified review framework for NIH research project grant application. UC supports NIH’s goals of reducing administrative burden and reputational bias in peer review, but questioned whether the simplified framework would actually reduce funding disparities for underrepresented groups. UC recommends real-time outcomes monitoring, robust training and guidance for reviewers and applicants, more diverse study sections, greater funding-transparency data, and added review criteria for team diversity and health-disparities relevance.