Overview
- Filed Dec. 29 in the federal District Court of Massachusetts, the settlement directs NIH to reconsider frozen, denied, withdrawn, or unreviewed applications under its ordinary scientific peer review without applying the challenged directives.
- The deal sets expedited deadlines: decisions on noncompeting renewals by the filing date, on already peer‑reviewed new awards by Jan. 12, 2026, and on other applications by mid‑April or late July depending on review stage.
- NIH does not admit wrongdoing and is not required to fund any specific proposal, committing instead to evaluate applications in good faith as the judge reviews the agreement, with other legal claims remaining unresolved and the stipulation not constituting final agency action.
- Coverage includes applications submitted through Sept. 29, 2025 connected to DEI, gender and COVID topics, with plaintiffs noting impacts on research areas such as HIV prevention, Alzheimer’s disease, LGBTQ health and sexual violence.
- Earlier rulings found the grant‑cancellation directives arbitrary and unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act, and the U.S. Supreme Court later limited immediate monetary remedies while leaving those legal findings intact.