In the case of any proposal for the National Institutes of Health to conduct or support research, the Secretary may not approve or fund any proposal that is subject to technical and scientific peer review under section 289a of this title unless the proposal has undergone such review in accordance with such section and has been recommended for approval by a majority of the members of the entity conducting such review, and unless a majority of the voting members of the appropriate advisory council under section 284a of this title, or as applicable, of the advisory council under section 282(k) of this title, has recommended the proposal for approval.
The limitation established in paragraph (1) regarding the authority to withhold funds because of ethical considerations shall apply without regard to whether the withholding of funds on such basis is characterized as a disapproval, a moratorium, a prohibition, or other characterization.
For purposes of this subsection, the term “ethical considerations” means considerations as to whether the nature of the research involved is such that it is unethical to conduct or support the research.