The Trump administration terminated $1.81 billion in NIH grants in under 40 days, including $544 million in unspent funds, as detailed in a JAMA analysis based on data from the Department of Health and Human Services. This report provides the most comprehensive assessment of the funding cuts initiated to address perceived inefficiencies in federal spending. Between February 28 and April 8, nearly 700 grants, spanning 24 NIH institutes and covering various health topics, were terminated. Notably, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities experienced the steepest cuts, losing about 30% of its funding—ten times the average cut rate.
President Trump’s new budget proposal seeks to eliminate all funding for this institute, labeling it as burdened with diversity expenditures. The proposal outlines an $18 billion overall cut to NIH funding, bringing it down to $27 billion, while emphasizing funding on chronic diseases over other areas like gender-focused and climate change research. Most terminated grants were for research projects, with around 20% designated for early career fellowships and training. The analysis noted that larger grants were more prone to termination, posing significant risks to major clinical trials and research centers.
Columbia University was the hardest hit with 157 terminations, attributed to the administration’s criticism of its handling of protests related to Jewish student safety. The university has since laid off 180 staff linked to affected federal grants and is in communication with federal officials regarding the reinstatement of these funds. They reported that the financial and operational strain from these cuts is considerable.
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