Court Blocks Trump's NIH Grant Cuts to Universities

A federal appeals court has blocked President Trump's administration from implementing cuts to NIH grant funding for university research. The Boston-based court upheld an injunction, ruling the cuts unlawful. The decision supports numerous Democratic state attorneys general, medical associations, and universities challenging the policy.

A federal appeals court has delivered a blow to the Trump administration's attempt to implement significant cuts to federal grants distributed by the National Institutes of Health to universities conducting scientific and medical research.

On Monday, the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed an injunction secured by 22 Democratic state attorneys general, medical associations, and universities. The court agreed that the announced funding cuts, proposed in February 2025, were unlawful.

The decision blocks efforts by the Trump administration to cap grant funding for indirect costs associated with research, preventing widespread layoffs and laboratory closures. The ruling noted that the proposed cap violated existing NIH regulations and congressional provisions.

(With inputs from agencies.)