Summary

• NIH criticized for lack of oversight of organization funding controversial research in Wuhan.
• Government report states NIH failed to monitor compliance with reporting requirements.
• Raises new questions about NIH's role in funding and monitoring foreign organizations and COVID-19 origins.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been criticized for not providing adequate oversight of an American organization that funded controversial research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, according to a new government report.

The report, issued by the inspector general of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, states that the NIH failed to monitor and take timely action to address the EcoHealth Alliance's compliance with some requirements, including reporting research being conducted in Wuhan with U.S. funds.

As a result, the NIH and EcoHealth's ability to effectively monitor Federal grant awards and subawards, understand the nature of the research conducted, identify potential problem areas, and take corrective action was limited. This report is likely to raise new questions about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of the NIH in funding and monitoring foreign organizations.