President Donald Trump signed an executive order on October 19 directing the creation of a new women’s health division at the National Institutes of Health and establishing a White House task force to coordinate federal efforts across every stage of women’s lives.
The order directs Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., acting through the NIH director, to establish the division within 90 days. It also revokes a March 2024 executive order and a November 2023 presidential memorandum that created women’s health research initiatives under former President Joe Biden.
HHS announced that First Lady Melania Trump helped advance the initiative. Kennedy and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will co-chair the task force.
The new division must coordinate with NIH’s existing Office of Research on Women’s Health. NIH explains that the existing office already supports research on biological sex differences and women’s representation in clinical studies.
The October 19 order identifies research needs involving heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune conditions, chronic pain, endometriosis, fibroids, infertility, maternal health, menopause and osteoporosis, among other conditions.
Its stated policy prioritizes “translating research into improved clinical care that benefits women and girls.”
The division’s responsibilities include coordinating research and replication studies, encouraging advanced research technologies, increasing the inclusion of women and girls in clinical trials, and developing accountability for grant recipients under NIH’s policy on sex as a biological variable.
Trump also directed the division to help move scientific discoveries into clinical practice and public health programs at the federal, state, and local levels.
The task force will bring together officials from departments and agencies including Agriculture, Labor, Education, Veterans Affairs, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Its duties include strengthening research, supporting earlier diagnosis and prevention, updating clinical education, and consulting with states, tribal nations, local governments, community organizations, and private-sector partners. The order allows the co-chairs to seek expert input through public hearings, meetings, and roundtables.
The order does not specify a new research funding amount. It assigns HHS responsibility for the task force’s administrative costs and makes implementation subject to available appropriations and applicable law.
