NIH-Wide Policy Doubles Down on Scientific Rigor and Reproducibility

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) is now assessing all research grant submissions based on the rigor and transparency of the proposed research plans. Previously, efforts to strengthen scientific practices had been undertaken by individual institutes, beginning in 2011 with the National Institute on Aging, which partnered with APS and the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research to begin a conversation about improving reproducibility across science. These early efforts were noted and encouraged by Congress. Now, the entire agency has committed to this important goal: NIH's 2016–2020 strategic plan announces, "NIH will take the lead in promoting new approaches toward enhancing the rigor of experimental design, analysis, and reporting."