CFBH Speaks Out on NIH Grant Policy Threat | CFBH

A proposed change to federal grantmaking rules could disqualify much of the country's health disparities research from funding. CFBH's Dr. Davena Longshore is one of the voices pushing back.

A 412-page proposal from the White House Office of Management and Budget is drawing serious concern from health equity researchers across the country — and CFBH is among the organizations that have formally weighed in. As reported by STAT News, a provision buried inside the proposed rule would prohibit federal funds from being used to "promote or support theories of disparate-impact liability" — a legal concept that allows policies to be deemed discriminatory if they disproportionately harm a protected group, even when the policy itself is race-neutral. Health disparities researchers warn that this language could be interpreted broadly enough to disqualify the comparative population research that the entire field depends on.

From the article:
"This is going to make this harder for us to get funding, but also it's going to have a huge impact on certain communities that already are overlooked, that already don't get a lot of attention."
Dr. Davena Longshore — CEO, Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health

Dr. Longshore submitted a formal public comment opposing the OMB proposal, joining nearly 200 other public comments that specifically raised concerns about the impact on health disparities research. Her comment reflects a concern shared broadly across the field: that defunding this work does not make disparities disappear — it simply removes our ability to understand and respond to them. The proposal has already drawn thousands of public comments, largely focused on how it would shift authority over grant decisions away from peer review and toward political appointees. Health disparities researchers say the disparate-impact provision has received comparatively less attention — despite carrying some of the most far-reaching consequences for the field's future.

STAT News

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