USA: NIH Establishes New Office to Advance Human-Based Research Methods

In a press release issued yesterday, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced the creation of the Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application (ORIVA), a new office dedicated to advancing human-based research methods and reducing reliance on animal use in biomedical research. ORIVA will coordinate efforts across the NIH to develop, validate, and promote New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), including human tissue models, organoids, organ-on-a-chip technologies, and computational approaches. The office is intended to serve as a central hub for collaboration across NIH institutes and with other federal agencies. According to the NIH, ORIVA will pursue two main objectives: supporting the development of human-based research methods through funding, infrastructure, and training initiatives, and coordinating efforts across federal agencies to facilitate the evaluation and broader acceptance of new research approaches.