---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 284r"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "284r"
heading: "Basic research"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/284r"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III — National Research Institutes"
  - "Part B — General Provisions Respecting National Research Institutes"
---

# §284r. Basic research

- (1) **Developing policies—** Not later than 2 years after December 13, 2016, the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Institutes of Health (referred to in this section as the “[Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Institutes of Health”), taking into consideration the recommendations developed under section 2039,[^1] shall develop policies for [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) of basic research funded by National Institutes of Health to assess—
  - (A) relevant biological variables including sex, as appropriate; and
  - (B) how differences between male and female cells, tissues, or animals may be examined and analyzed.
- (2) **Revising policies—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Institutes of Health may update or revise the policies developed under [paragraph (1)](#1) as appropriate.
- (3) **Consultation and outreach—** In developing, updating, or revising the policies under this section, the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Institutes of Health shall—
  - (A) consult with—
    - (i) the Office of Research on Women’s Health;
    - (ii) the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare; and
    - (iii) appropriate members of the scientific and academic communities; and
  - (B) conduct outreach to solicit feedback from members of the scientific and academic communities on the influence of sex as a variable in basic research, including feedback on when it is appropriate for [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) of basic research involving cells, tissues, or animals to include both male and female cells, tissues, or animals.
- (4) **Additional requirements—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Institutes of Health shall—
  - (A) ensure that [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) of basic research funded by the National Institutes of Health are conducted in accordance with the policies developed, updated, or revised under this section, as applicable; and
  - (B) encourage that the results of such research, when published or reported, be disaggregated as appropriate with respect to the analysis of any sex differences.

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 114–255, div. A, title II, § 2038(g), Dec. 13, 2016, 130 Stat. 1066.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 2039, referred to in par. (1), is section 2039 of Pub. L. 114–255, which is set out as a note under section 282 of this title.

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the 21st Century Cures Act, and not as part of the Public Health Service Act which comprises this chapter.