A federal judge in Massachusetts on April 4 issued a permanent injunction to block the Trump administration’s proposal to limit medical research funding. The federal government plans to appeal the decision, setting up a longer legal battle over the future of research grant policy, The New York Times reported.
Three notes:
- U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley initially issued a temporary restraining order in February to halt a proposed policy from the National Institutes of Health to cap reimbursements for research overhead costs to universities and academic medical centers at 15%. Ms. Kelley extended the order twice until the final ruling April 4, which sets up a longer legal battle over NIH contracts. The Trump administration had requested the court to enter the verdict April 4 so that it can move forward with an appeal, according to the Times.
- Also on April 4, attorneys general from 16 states filed a federal lawsuit to challenge the Trump administration’s abrupt termination of NIH research grants. The suit alleges the administration unlawfully revoked millions in funding for previously approved studies, including those focused on substance abuse, Alzheimer’s and vaccine hesitancy, by deeming them misaligned with the agency’s priorities. Plaintiffs argue the terminations threaten public health by disrupting research and clinical trials, and are urging the court to order the administration to restore grants and resume NIH’s standard review process.
