Benno Schmidt, chairman of the President’s Cancer Panel, feels he made progress when he argued NCI’s case on research training grants and fellowships with Office of Management & Budget. In this instance, however, OMB will not have the last word. HEW Secretary Caspar Weinberger decided, when he headed OMB, to kill the NIH training program and wouldn’t change his mind after moving to HEW. Congress may have forced Weinberger to back down (See HEW budget story page 2) ….
NCI Director Frank Rauscher says the most damaging blow to cancer research has been the Administration’s ceiling on positions. NCI scientists are doing clerical work because OMB (or Weinberger) won’t permit Rauscher to hire more people. Rauscher may put to use the authority he has to bypass HEW and take his case directly to the President, and Congress ….
Another level of contract review may be superimposed over NIH procedures by HEW. Asst. Secretary for Health Charles Edwards is considering establishing review in his office for contracts over $1 million. Rauscher fears this would add 1-2 months to review time already requiring 5-7 months.
