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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has partially lifted a freeze on its review process of new grant applications for medical research. The freeze was originally in place due to a block enacted by the Trump administration on the agency’s ability to post public notes in the Federal Register.1
In a statement issued by the NIH, the agency will “begin sending notices incrementally to the Office of the Federal Register to advertise meetings of scientific review groups/study sections and begin their resumption.” Additionally, the agency intends to submit Federal Register Notices for the next 50 meetings, according to the statement.1
However, later stages of the grant review process remain frozen.
On February 22, NPR reported the original freeze along with the NIH’s halt on considering new grant applications. According to the news outlet, the meeting freeze stalled about 16,000 grant applications vying for around $1.5 billion in NIH funding.2
In an earlier briefing protesting the freeze, Annika Barber, assistant professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at Rutgers University, said, “Today, I was meant to be serving on one of the many cancelled National Institutes of Health study sections. And instead of providing feedback on critical biomedical research for federal funding, I’m here to explain what America is losing when we lose basic science research.”2
The NIH review process for grants is intensive. Thousands of meetings involving key stakeholders drive decisions which affect over 300,000 researchers at more than 2,500 institutions.2 Even under a partial freeze, the United States medical research industry is suffering from a massive loss of critical resources, affecting many patients in need of care.
Shortly after President Donald J Trump’s inauguration, the federal government imposed a freeze of all grants, including those from the NIH. In response, United States District Judge John McConnell Jr. blocked the funding freeze through a temporary restraining order. The lawsuit was brought on by attorney generals in 22 states and Washington D.C.3
Following the order, the court stated: “During the pendency of the Temporary Restraining Order, Defendants shall not pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate Defendants’ compliance with awards and obligations to provide federal financial assistance to the States, and Defendants shall not impede the States’ access to such awards and obligations, except on the basis of the applicable authorizing statutes, regulations, and terms.”4
On February 21, a federal judge in Rhode Island heard arguments on blocking the Trump administration’s freeze on grants even further. During which, McConnell said he would leave the temporary restraining order in place.3
References
1. Stein, R. (2025, February 26). NIH partially lifts freeze on funding process for medical research. Accessed February 27, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/26/g-s1-50920/trump-nih-funding-freeze-medical-research
2. Stein, R. (2025, February 22). NIH funding freeze stalls applications on $1.5 billion in medical research funds. Accessed February 27, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/22/nx-s1-5305276/trump-nih-funding-freeze-medical-research
3. Kim, J. (2025, February 21). Federal judge hears arguments to decide the future of Trump’s federal funding freeze. Accessed February 27, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/02/21/g-s1-50084/trump-funding-freeze-court-hearing
4. NPR Washington Desk. (2025, January 31). A 2nd U.S. judge says Trump administration must pause its federal spending freeze. Accessed February 27, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/31/nx-s1-5282410/trump-spending-freeze-blocked-federal-judge