Donald Trump faces legal setback over cutting funding from National Institutes of Health
US: The Donald Trump administration’s attempts to reduce National Institutes of Health funding for medical research programs have been permanently overturned by a federal court.
The greatest public funding source for biomedical research worldwide is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services. In an attempt to reduce government expenditure, the Trump administration has been attempting to reduce research funding since January, which has left many scientists frantically trying to find ways to go on with their jobs.
A group of academic institutions claimed that existing research was in danger, and the federal court’s decision represents their first win. There’s a good chance of an appeal.
Judge Angel Kelley of the Federal District Court in Massachusetts ruled Friday that the Trump administration could not restrict National Institutes of Health funding that funds research at academic medical centers and universities, regaining billions of dollars in award funds.
The current decision makes the restriction permanent. Judge Kelley had previously granted a temporary injunction, noting that the Trump administration’s stance was needlessly risky and would seriously hurt crucial medical research. The government unexpectedly requested the verdict, asking the court to confirm the interim ruling so they could proceed with an appeal of the ban.
However, for a variety of medical research organizations, who had calculated that the lost money was close to $4 billion, the ruling represents an early win.
Under Trump’s plan, NIH funding for “indirect costs” would have been restricted to 15% of award totals. This might cover utilities, building upkeep, and administrative staff assistance. According to The New York Times, in the past, NIH funding might pay for as much as half of these expenses. Instead of paying for institutional overhead, Trump officials said the move will free up more funds to directly support research operations, such as hiring scientists and purchasing lab equipment.
Critics, however, did not accept the president’s position. They said that the adjustments would actually put more of the financial strain on research organizations, which would probably force them to reduce their initiatives and lay off employees.
Grants have already been reduced by the NIH. The Guardian reported that hundreds of funds to research ways to increase access to care and prevent new HIV infections were canceled at the start of the month. Enhancing access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an antiviral medication that is very effective in preventing new HIV infections, was the goal of several of the HIV-related research studies that were stopped. However, there are still disparities in receiving those medications and maintaining a daily therapy, which is why a large portion of research has concentrated on expanding access in populations with higher infection rates, such as Black males and trans women.
According to a March 20 termination letter obtained by The Guardian, “so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) studies are often used to support unlawful discrimination on the basis of race and other protected characteristics, which harms the health of Americans.” The letter implied that this might have been one of the reasons the grants were canceled.
A group of 16 states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration earlier Friday for denying funding that pays for medical research’s direct expenses.
“Once again, the Trump administration is putting politics ahead of public health and endangering lives and livelihoods in the process,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement on Friday. Every day, millions of Americans rely on our country’s research institutions to find cures and treatments for the illnesses that destroy families. Judge Kelley’s decision is probably going to be appealed. When this will occur is uncertain.
