How do you Trump-proof an agency?

In an effort to Trump-proof, NIH has designated an official to identify political meddling in the agency’s work and is tasking a soon-to-be-established scientific integrity council with reviewing those cases. The White House knows Trump could still cast those plans aside but is calculating that doing so will set off alarms with the media, Congress and the public.

  Politico

And the only faction there that MIGHT have any pushback would be the public.

The Biden administration likely hopes GOP lawmakers, even those who think the NIH needs an overhaul, will temper Trump’s moves.

Have they learned nothing?

The plan to protect the agency’s independence is critical because the public needs to be able to rely on NIH to “generate rigorous, trusted evidence to inform public health.”

That is absolutely true, but depending on "alarms" and, especially, GOP lawmakers is nothing short of pipe dreams.

In addition to assigning Jorgenson as the NIH’s watchdog, the White House has directed other health agencies that got caught up in the Covid wars, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, to strengthen their scientific integrity plans, both to ensure that research is rigorous, bias-free, transparent and reliable — and that nonpartisan civil servants are making the research decisions.

Hello?? Anybody awake in here?? Trump has specifically said he will be firing civil servants and replacing them with loyalists.

NIH’s scientific integrity plan [is] not written into law or regulation.

Nor will it be as long as Republicans hold power. Plus - Trump in a second term will not be concerned about laws and regulations. 

 ...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.