Overview
- Between Feb. 28 and Aug. 15, NIH terminated grants for 383 of 11,008 active interventional trials—about 1 in 30—according to JAMA Internal Medicine.
- More than 74,000 people were enrolled in trials that were active but not recruiting when funding ended, with infectious-disease studies hit hardest at roughly 14%.
- Trials in the U.S. Northeast and studies conducted outside the country were disproportionately affected, including over 115 cancer trials along with cardiovascular and mental health research.
- HHS rejected the study’s portrayal and said terminations refocus resources on “high-impact, high-urgency science,” while independent trackers report thousands more projects labeled impacted and inconsistent federal records.
- Some grants were later reinstated through court action or stopgap institutional funding, yet researchers report closed sites, lost access to care, and lasting harm to data quality and trust.