How NIH’s new leader could change the future of science

Francis Collins’ successor will have the wind at her back. Propelled by a president who has vowed to prioritize science, bipartisan congressional enthusiasm for funding NIH and reflected glory from an institute director who has become a cultural icon, the next NIH director will have freedom to maneuver that previous directors could only imagine.

In selecting an NIH director, President Joe Biden and his Science Adviser Eric Lander will make a statement about the future they envision for American science...