The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Council of Councils convened its annual fall meeting on September 10 and 11. NIH leadership updated Council members on organizational programs and changes, presented concept clearances for approval, and reviewed progress on the agency’s new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. Council members also had the opportunity to question NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, on several issues of concern for stakeholders.
Established in 2006, the Council of Councils advises the NIH Director on matters related to the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) within the Office of the Director (OD). The charter calls for 27 external members selected from NIH institute and center (IC) Advisory Councils, representatives nominated by OD program offices, and broad non-NIH representation. Currently, however, there are only nine members, yet another example of the agency’s failure to maintain its advisory councils over the last year and a half. DPCPSI Director and Council of Councils Chair Nicole Kleinstreuer, PhD, informed the Council that nine new members will be onboarded before the January meeting, with the remaining nine expected to join before the following May meeting.
[Agenda] [Day 1 Videocast] [Day 2 Videocast]
Day 1
Dr. Bhattacharya opened the meeting with his NIH Director’s Update. He informed the Council that several leadership positions have finally been filled, with more on the way (see FABBS reporting). He revealed NIH’s three-step selection process: (1) current IC directors review applicants and suggest candidates for interviews; (2) career scientists in the OD interview candidates and make three recommendations to the director; (3) he sends his pick to Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for final approval. Dr. Bhattacharya indicated that Kennedy himself is also interviewing candidates, which we note is unusual for these positions. Keep in mind that 12 openings were posted in November 2025 (see FABBS reporting) and previous NIH Directors created search committees with outside experts to recruit and evaluate candidates.
Next, the director briefly discussed the NIH mission and progress on updating the agency’s strategic plan. One of Dr. Bhattacharya’s goals is to develop new metrics to judge the success of the NIH portfolio, focusing on how the research it funds improves Americans’ health. He later assured Council members that basic research is still an agency priority. He also highlighted that the agency will fund more than 1,200 new R01s for early-stage investigators in fiscal year 2026 (FY26), the most since 2009. IC leadership is currently reviewing a draft of the strategy plan – which incorporates public feedback (see FABBS comments) – and it will be available for the Council to review later this year.
After his presentation, Dr. Bhattacharya took questions from the Council members, many of whom sought clarification on requests for information (RFIs) and new policies. One line of questioning concerned the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), particularly its lack of director and recent reports about the interagency agreement with the Department of Defense (DOD). Dr. Bhattacharya revealed that he has made a recommendation to HHS for a new institute director and is waiting for approval. Regarding the DOD agreement, he emphasized it will not affect the NIH or NIAID budgets, but instead allow for easier collaboration on projects of shared interest. He claimed that NIH has similar agreements with other agencies. The Director also disclosed that NIAID’s research portfolio will no longer include biodefense, which DOD will now cover.
Members also asked about the proposal to change how NIH reports peer view outcomes to grant applicants (see RFI here), noting that less precise feedback hinders mentors’ ability to properly guide mentees to improve their proposals. Another Council member questioned NIH’s decision to no longer support “Independent Clinical Trial Required” K award Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) (see RFI here). Dr. Bhattacharya argued that this change will affect few K awardees and these trainees should rely on other funding mechanisms to support their clinical trial work. Finally, the director answered questions about the reported ban on policy-relevant research now in place at the agency. As with many of the other issues raised, Dr. Bhattacharya lamented that the media has misreported many details. He emphasized that NIH research should not primarily aim to influence policy. He indicated that a Director’s Statement officially outlining the policy is coming soon. FABBS will be responding to the above listed RFIs. We will hold an office hour on September 18th for any FABBS member interested in providing input or learning more to inform your own comments. Register here.
Following the Q and A session, Dr. Kleinstreuer gave her DPCPSI Director’s Report, focusing on leadership changes, program updates, and new NOFOs and challenges (see linked slides for details). Additionally, DPCPSI is proposing another reorganization: establishing the Office of the Chief AI Officer (OCAIO) and aligning the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) within the Office of Nutrition Research (ONR). Dr. Kleinsteurer indicated that the size of DPCPSI is not changing with this reorganization; instead, funds and resources are being moved around.
Next, the Council heard from two working groups. First, the Working Group on Fostering Transformative Biomedical Research presented an update on their progress towards developing a plan to rapidly and efficiently accelerate biomedical innovation at NIH. The group has primarily engaged in data collection: reviewing exemplars of transformational funding at the agencies, assessing current efforts, and understanding obstacles. The group is now shifting to strategy development, working towards a report outlining recommendations for NIH leadership’s consideration. Second, the Working Group on Science of Science presented its recommendations for how NIH can enhance its use of the science of science and ensuing results; engage the science of science research community; and communicate the results of science of science research. The Council unanimously approved the final report, which will now go to the two scholars in its Science of Science Pilot Program to work towards implementation.
Two concept clearances were then considered for approval. Most relevant for FABBS members is the Common Fund concept R3PEATS Program: Research Rigor and Replication to Promote Excellence, Accuracy, and Translation in Science. Dr. Michael Chiang, Director of the National Eye Institute (NEI) first presented this concept back in January, but at the time the Council had substantial concerns (see FABBS reporting). Dr. Chiang and his team incorporated feedback and the Council approved the concept by a split vote.
Day 2
After approving two additional concepts, the Council spent the majority of the second day learning about and discussing the NIH Artificial Intelligence Strategy for FY27-FY29, presented by newly appointed Chief AI Officer Bradley Bower, PhD. This strategic planning process began in February, with a team of more than 130 NIH staff recruited to define values and develop a draft plan. The group is currently collecting and incorporating feedback, including from NIH staff and leadership at all ICs. Dr. Bower plans to present a final draft to NIH and HHS leadership for approval in October and finalize and publish the plan in November.
Dr. Bower highlighted the plan’s “North Star”: NIH must enable, support, and encourage trustworthy, AI-based acceleration of science. The plan includes five overarching goals, each with a clear objective, outcome, and example implementation priorities. These are:
- Ensure U.S. AI leadership at the horizon of biomedicine.
- Accelerating the biomedical AI ecosystem.
- Improving AI governance and security to enable innovation.
- Access, capacity, and AI community building at scale.
- Translating AI-enabled research into health outcomes.
In the ensuing discussion, Council members emphasize the need for NIH to have an Advisory Council on AI, similar to how each IC has its own Advisory Council. Dr. Bower agreed and indicated that an AI council will be convened at some point.
The Council of Council next meets on January 28-29, 2027.
