Wed, June 25, 2025:
N.I.H. Memo Pauses Cancellations of Medical Research Grants. The directive, in a memo issued Tuesday, came after two court rulings that questioned the Trump administration’s swift cuts to funding. – NYT
Despite the NIH memo and court rulings in favor of scientists, it’s not clear whether researchers can quickly get back to work because the Trump administration is reportedly still deciding on its next steps. “Researchers haven’t yet been able to access funds covered by the ruling as part of the order, and the likelihood that the government will appeal or seek to halt the order leaves the outlook murky,” Axios reported yesterday. And if or when the funding flows again, scientists say that their work has already been affected, in some cases making it hard to salvage their studies. – FT
Tues, June 24, 2025:
NIH grantees may face long waits for restored money – Axios
“Ending a $5 million research study when it is 80% complete does not save $1 million, it wastes $4 million,” they write. They add that the decisions risk people’s health: “NIH trials are being halted without regard to participant safety, abruptly stopping medications or leaving participants with unmonitored device implants.”
The letter warns that the “unprecedented reduction in NIH spending” is not a move toward greater efficiency “but rather a dramatic reduction in life-saving research” and a violation of Bhattacharya’s duty to spend congressionally appropriated funds for NIH research.
Wed, May 28, 2025:
Scientists made a breakthrough in the treatment of brain diseases. What they did: Created gene delivery systems, or “trucks,” which can target different cell types in the brain and spinal cord. It means treatments can reach specific cells. Why it matters: It may lead to new therapies for diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, if the project’s federal funding continues. – WP
Wed, April 16, 2025:
Women, minorities fired in purge of NIH science review boards; Scientists, with expertise in fields that include mental health, cancer and infectious disease, typically serve five-year terms and were not given a reason for their dismissal. – WP
Mon, April 14, 2025:
The cost of Trump and Kennedy’s cuts at NIH is already adding up; The cuts will crush U.S. leadership in biomedicine and put millions of American lives at risk. – Diana DeGette/Fred Upton
Mon, April 7, 2025:
A big step forward in cancer therapy has been slowed by layoffs and new restrictions at the National Institutes of Health, where it was developed. – WP