Judge Orders NIH Restore DEI-Related Grants

A federal judge in Boston, William Young, ruled that the Trump administration's termination of over $1 billion in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants, many pertaining to diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), race, and gender identity, was illegal and discriminatory. Judge Young, a Reagan appointee, described the administration’s actions as unprecedented discrimination against racial and LGBTQ groups. The judge ordered the NIH to immediately restore funding for hundreds of grants and barred the use of ideological criteria in future funding decisions. The lawsuits were brought by organizations such as the ACLU, the American Public Health Association, and several Democratic-led states, contending the cuts were arbitrary and lacked scientific justification. The decision is a temporary victory for researchers, while the federal government is expected to appeal. Judge Young emphasized the importance of scientific research and condemned attempts to exclude certain groups from health research.