Overview

• Judge William Young ruled that the NIH’s termination of over $1 billion in research grants is illegal and void, describing it as racial and LGBTQ+ discrimination.
• The order restores 367 grants awarded to researchers and 16 Democratic-led states that challenged the cancellations in federal court.
• Young found that directives targeting diversity, equity and inclusion and gender identity research were arbitrary, lacked scientific justification and broke federal law.
• HHS defended the original cuts as necessary to refocus funding on evidence-based science and said it will explore all legal options, including an appeal.
• NIH director Jay Bhattacharya admitted the cuts went too far and is evaluating steps to reinstate affected grants to resume halted research.