Proposed provisions in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act that would reorganize the National Institutes of Health has received pushback from the American Dental Association.
The appropriation bill in the House of Representatives would consolidate the NIH's current 27 institutes and centers into 15, according to a July 12 news release from the ADA.
Under the restructuring, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research would be placed under the jurisdiction of the Institute of Neuroscience and Brain Research.
The NIDCR, which recently reached its 75th anniversary, works to prevent, detect and treat dental, oral and craniofacial diseases and conditions.
The reshuffling could lead to the organization's focus becoming diluted and lose the ability to conduct its research, according to U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, DMD.
The ADA joined 222 other organizations in a July 9 coalition letter that opposes the restructuring proposal, the release said.