Overview
- Under a settlement filed Dec. 29, NIH will reconsider frozen, denied, or withdrawn applications submitted through Sept. 29, 2025, without using contested anti‑DEI and related directives.
- The agreement sets swift deadlines, including decisions by Jan. 12 for applications already through study sections and councils, and later timelines into mid‑April and late July for those needing further review.
- NIH does not admit wrongdoing and is not required to fund any specific proposal, but it must evaluate each application in good faith through its ordinary scientific process.
- Early implementation produced rapid outcomes for an initial subset, with the ACLU reporting at least 135 of 146 reviewed applications granted.
- The deal follows Judge William G. Young’s ruling that the directives were arbitrary and unlawful; the Supreme Court limited remedies for already‑terminated grants, and an appeal on that ruling is set for Jan. 6 in the First Circuit.