Science and Medical Grants: A Step Forward, But Not Far Enough

The government has decided to look at thousands of research grants again. These grants were put on hold because they included diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is good news, but it's not time to celebrate yet. The grants in question come from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation. They could have helped with important research on HIV prevention and Alzheimer’s disease. The University of Washington is one of many schools affected by this. They got $572 million from the NIH in 2024. The university's attorney general joined others in a lawsuit against the government. After the agreement, the NIH reviewed hundreds of applications and approved 499. But why should we be careful? Because the president has tried to cut funding for research before. In his first term, he tried to cut $6. 1 billion from the NIH, including $1 billion for cancer research. Luckily, Congress stopped it.In 2025, the president tried to control colleges and universities. He paused federal grant applications and cut funding for cancer research. This led to many lawsuits. He also pressured schools like Cornell, Columbia, Brown, and the University of Pennsylvania. He withheld millions in funding, saying it was to protect civil rights. He wanted schools to align with his views on gender and race in hiring and athletics. The government still has many applications to review. The latest agreement doesn't guarantee funding. It only requires the NIH to consider the stalled applications. It took nearly a year and lawsuits to get here. In a country known for medical and technological advances, this is not good enough.