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‘Devastating’ cuts to NIH grants by Trump’s team put on hold by US judge

The ruling temporarily halts a policy slashing research-overhead costs that left some universities wondering how to make ends meet.
By
  1. Max Kozlov
  2. Dan Garisto
  3. Heidi Ledford

Update: After a court hearing on Friday, 21 February, US District Judge Angel Kelley extended her temporary order blocking the NIH from enacting a policy that would slash research-overhead costs to 15%. Her original order was set to expire on 24 February but will now remain in place until she decides whether to issue an injunction, which is a more permanent type of block.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00436-1

Updates & Corrections

  • Update 11 February 2025: This story was updated to include information about a second lawsuit filed by a coalition of universities. The same judge that responded to the lawsuit from 22 states issued a similar ruling temporarily preventing the NIH from enacting its 15% cap on indirect costs. This ruling applied nationwide, however, not just to the 22 states.

  • Correction 12 February 2025: An earlier version of this story attributed a quote to acting NIH director Matthew Memoli. The quote is from a memorandum issued by his office.

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