AdvertisementNow, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Jay Bhattasharya, has announced that the NIH is adopting a risk-based policy, which they are calling the "U.S. Government Policy for Stopping High-Risk Life Sciences Research." Now, I am pleased to share the new U.S. Government Policy for Stopping High-Risk Life Sciences Research, a groundbreaking government-wide mandate that expressly prohibits gain-of-function research which can significantly endanger American lives and jeopardize our Nation's security. The new U.S. Government-wide policy represents a paradigm shift in federal oversight by adopting a comprehensive, risk-based framework supported by strong enforcement, accountability, and transparency measures. The policy also strengthens global safeguards by instituting new international restrictions, including banning life sciences research involving certain countries or entities and prohibiting high-risk work in countries lacking adequate oversight. Today, we are ending federal support for dangerous gain-of-function research and replacing weak oversight with clear, enforceable safeguards.