The National Institutes of Health (NIH) moved funds to the Pentagon to research drugs and tools combating nuclear threats, a new document reveals.
The agreement, shared on September 4, is intended for the “research and development of therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN).” The specific funds are meant to “provide acquisition services to support the advanced development of medical countermeasures against pandemic influenza, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, and emerging infectious diseases. Supported by NIH’s scientific data, product pipelines, and translational expertise, OASW will award contracts, grants, and other transactions to research and develop therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect the United States.”
Specific projects under the agreement have yet to be disclosed by either the NIH or the Pentagon.
Amid criticism of the agreement, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said in a statement, “NIH funds should be used to improve the health of Americans.”
“Far from siphoning money away from research, this partnership between [NIH] and [Department of War] focuses on research projects that will drive discoveries to improve the health of American citizens and members of the military,” he wrote on X. “Led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, all work will be 100% aligned with our public health mission.”
“No funds have gone to DOW in FY26, and none will. For FY27, we’ll evaluate opportunities to work together project by project, always in service of NIAID’s strategic vision – and we’ll keep our stakeholders informed along the way,” Bhattacharya added.
