Trump administration agrees to review stalled NIH research grants after lawsuit

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

December 29, 2025 10:16 PM EST Updated 10 hours ago


NEW YORK, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Monday reached a deal with researchers and Democratic-led states who sued over cuts to funding for diversity-related research, agreeing to review grant applications that were stalled or rejected during the legal battle. A federal judge in Boston previously ruled that the National Institutes of Health unlawfully canceled hundreds of millions of dollars in research grants because of their perceived connection to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The U.S. Supreme Court in August partially put that decision on hold, ruling that legal battles over the terminated grants should be handled by a different court that specializes in monetary disputes with the government. The Supreme Court left unresolved a second piece of the litigation concerning the NIH's processing of applications for future funding.

Monday’s agreement resolved part of the battle over the NIH grants, with the government agreeing to conduct new reviews of grant applications that were frozen, denied, or withdrawn after the new policy was announced. The agreement does not require NIH to fund any particular research proposal.

The researchers who sued NIH said Monday that the proposed grants will advance public health issues, including HIV prevention, Alzheimer’s disease, LGBTQ health, and sexual violence.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-administration-agrees-review-stalled-nih-research-grants-after-lawsuit-2025-12-30/

---

REFERENCES (some)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143433858
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143479911
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143491537
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143504041
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143504683
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143516659

[Tanuki]

1. Ok, but who will be conducting the "reviews"?

Career scientists who are acknowledged experts in the field, or Trump-appointed flunkies?

[Attilatheblond]

2. Aren't the pertinent reviews done in Congress, when THEY appropriate the money?

Since when does Trump get line item veto power over the budge items Congress approves?

[MadLinguist]

3. And how in the hell

is it that rescinding already appropriated funds is legal?
There's not nearly enough pushback. I don't understand why this freefall is happening. Do we still have gravity in this place?

[Attilatheblond]

4. Cowardly GOP does not appreciate the gravity of the situation.

Seems they want their posh government salaries and all the perks but do not have any intention to do their flippin jobs.

[Tanuki]

5. More info: the reviews are to be conducted "in good faith"by NIH

"without applying the unlawful policy directives," but in the current Trump NIH, I still have my doubts about objective reviews.
https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/nih-agrees-to-evaluate-and-complete-review-on-stalled-scientific-grant-applications