Breaking: Human-Based Research Takes Center Stage at NIH
Written by Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D.
April 2025
After decades of resistance, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is shaking off old habits and moving into the future of science. On Tuesday, the agency announced it was launching a new initiative to “prioritize human-based research technologies” and “reduce the use of animals in NIH-funded research.” It’s the paradigm shift we’ve been calling for.
“For decades, our biomedical research system has relied heavily on animal models. With this initiative, NIH is ushering in a new era of innovation,” said NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. “This human-based approach will accelerate innovation, improve healthcare outcomes, and deliver life-changing treatments. It marks a critical leap forward for science, public trust, and patient care.”
This change in priorities is the result of persistent advocacy and expert guidance from organizations like SAO. NIH’s new plan adopts several recommendations from our Research Modernization NOW, including expanding funding, training, and infrastructure for non-animal methods. The agency also plans to work toward mitigating animal methods bias in NIH grant review panels — a problem that we recently documented in a first-of-its-kind study — and to include more non-animal methods experts on these committees.
NIH also identified cancer and Alzheimer’s disease as areas where experiments on animals have repeatedly failed to translate to human health advancements. For more on these topics, see pages 24 and 39 of Research Modernization NOW.
In an unprecedented move toward transparency, the agency plans to “publicly report on research spending annually to measure progress toward reduction of funding for animal studies and an increase in funding for human-based approaches.” This previously unavailable data will be essential for tracking this shift in priorities and ensuring accountability.
Kudos to NIH and its new director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, for recognizing the need for a broader, more forward-looking scientific vision. The news is a welcome and long-anticipated step in the right direction.
