A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it canceled hundreds of NIH research grants, some focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). U.S. District Judge William Young called the decision “arbitrary and capricious” and questioned whether the cancellations were motivated by racial and LGBTQ+ discrimination.
Young, a Reagan appointee, said, “I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this,” and accused officials of issuing boilerplate terminations without meaningful scientific review. The ruling follows lawsuits by 16 attorneys general, public health groups, and scientists who said canceled projects included studies on Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, and mental health in diverse populations.
While the administration defended the terminations as aligning with its priorities, Young ordered that funding be restored as the legal process continues. The ruling may be appealed.
An HHS spokesperson said the department stands by its decision to end grants that “prioritized ideological agendas over scientific rigor.” The NIH, the world’s largest public biomedical research funder, has yet to release a full list of affected grants.
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