The Core of the Agreement
The settlement resolves a portion of a massive legal battle led by 22 states and various advocacy groups. Under the new terms:
- Restored Merit Review: The NIH must evaluate stalled applications based strictly on scientific merit rather than political or DEI-related criteria.
- Protection of Funds: The agreement ensures that funding remains available for these grants even if the 2025 fiscal year ends before the review is complete.
- Good Faith Evaluation: While the government is not forced to fund every project, they must prove the review process was conducted fairly and without “bureaucratic interference.”
Why the Lawsuit Happened
Earlier in 2025, the administration issued executive orders aimed at stripping DEI initiatives from federal funding. This led to a “funding freeze” that critics argued was arbitrary and harmed non-political health research.
Research areas most affected included:
- Alzheimer’s and Chronic Disease: Projects focusing on aging and long-term care.
- Public Health: Research into HIV prevention, sexual violence, and maternal health.
- Health Disparities: Studies investigating why certain diseases affect specific demographic groups more than others.
The Road Ahead
While this settlement is a victory for pending grant applicants, the broader legal war is not over. The U.S. Supreme Court is still weighing the administration’s authority to cancel existing multi-year grants.
- Next Milestone: Oral arguments regarding the legality of the broader grant cancellations are scheduled for January 6, 2026.
- Impact: If the administration wins the broader case, they may still have the power to pull funding from currently active research projects, even if they have now agreed to review new ones.
