ExecutiveOrdersEO
EO 14120Executive OrderBiden · D Quiet signal

Executive Order 14120

Advancing Women's Health Research and Innovation

This executive order directs federal agencies to strengthen women's health research by integrating it across federal research programs, prioritizing funding, launching a menopause research assessment, and identifying budget gaps. It establishes reporting timelines and interagency coordination through the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research.

Federal Register Open PDF 89 FR 20095

Impact dates

  1. Annual reports to President on implementation status

  2. Annual progress reports to Directors and summary to President with budget consultation

  3. Agency Members submit reports identifying funding needed to catalyze women's health research

  4. Agency Members report to President on status of implementation of research and data standards (first annual report)

  5. Agency Members report to Chair on actions to strengthen research and data standards

  6. HHS launches comprehensive menopause science assessment and develops public resources

  7. OMB and Gender Policy Council Directors develop guidance for assessing additional funding needs

  8. Chair of Initiative and NIH Director establish and co-chair subgroup for interagency alignment on research/data standards

Key directives

  • Require applicants for federal research funding to explain study designs considering women's health
  • Improve recruitment, enrollment, and retention of women in clinical trials
  • Prioritize grantmaking advancing women's health research with emphasis on disparities
  • Use innovation funds, challenges, prizes to spur women's health innovation
  • Invest in translational science through ARPA-H, CDMRP, SBIR/STTR programs
  • Consider AI opportunities and challenges for women's health research per EO 14110
  • Launch comprehensive menopause science assessment and evidence-based research agenda
  • Develop public resources on menopause information
  • Evaluate midlife health needs of women service members and veterans
  • Identify federal funding gaps and recommend additional investments

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Establishment of subgroup co-chaired by Initiative Chair and NIH Office of Research on Women's Health Director (within 30 days)

Near term (90d)

  • Agency Members report on actions to strengthen research/data standards
  • HHS launches menopause science assessment and develops public resources
  • OMB/Gender Policy Council develop guidance for assessing funding gaps
  • Agency Members submit reports identifying funding needs (within 180 days)

Long term

  • Annual reporting to President on implementation status
  • Annual progress reports and budget consultations on women's health research funding
  • Potential statutory/regulatory/budgetary changes based on recommendations

Risks & tensions

  • Subject to availability of appropriations (Sec. 7(b))—funding constraints may limit implementation
  • 'As appropriate' and 'consider' language throughout creates discretion rather than mandates
  • No enforcement mechanism for non-compliance; EO explicitly creates no enforceable rights (Sec. 7(c))
  • Vague on specific dollar amounts or reprogramming authority
  • AI provision (Sec. 4(d)) is forward-looking but lacks concrete deliverables
  • Potential tension between prioritizing women's health research and existing peer-review/funding allocation processes
Executive Order 14120: Advancing Women's Health Research and Innovation · Executive Orders