ORFG Responds to NIH RFI on Rewarding and Measuring Scientific Impact
In June 2026 the NIH posted an RFI requesting information to support the definition of “...specific, measurable indicators and incentives that reflect the collaborative, rigorous, and mission-driven nature of modern biomedical science.”
ORFG’s response addressed three topics mentioned in the RFI:
Rigor and reproducibility
Data, software, and model sharing; and
Collaboration.
“The most effective way to ensure that NIH can better align its measures of research quality with its core mission, and generate knowledge that enhances health, lengthens life, and reduces illness and disability, is to institute open sharing practices and behaviors, and reward and incentivize these behaviors in new and meaningful ways. This can and should be achieved using a mix of several levers: policy, rules, workflows, and experimentation with new and innovative assessment and evaluation methods, including qualitative research assessments of individual contributions, and granular outputs.”
ORFG concluded its response urging the NIH to take three shifts in its approach:
Invest in infrastructure.
Adopt responsible indicators.
Align incentives