Overview

• The unsigned order permits NIH to terminate roughly $783 million in existing grants the administration linked to DEI, gender-identity and related priorities.
• A separate part of the lower court’s decision remains in force, with NIH’s internal guidance vacated and not usable to justify future funding decisions.
• Justice Amy Coney Barrett cast the pivotal votes, agreeing that payment disputes belong in the Court of Federal Claims while declining to revive the guidance.
• Chief Justice John Roberts joined Justices Sotomayor, Kagan and Jackson in dissent on lifting the funding block, producing a 5–4 split.
• The decision is interim and the broader litigation continues, with plaintiffs including 16 states and public‑health groups warning of serious harm to ongoing research.