Supreme Court Allows Trump to Cut $783M NIH DEI Research Funding

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the Trump administration may proceed with canceling $783 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants linked to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, overturning a lower court's order that blocked these cuts. Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s three liberal justices dissented, warning that allowing the cancellations to move forward amid ongoing lawsuits could cause significant harm to public health and scientific research. The administration justified the cuts by arguing that DEI-related funding can conceal discrimination and that funding decisions should not be subject to judicial second-guessing, citing precedent from a similar case involving education grants. The canceled grants included studies on topics such as structural racism, HIV stigma, and health equity for marginalized communities, prompting criticism from Democratic state attorneys general and public health advocates who said the cuts would disrupt critical research and damage careers. The ruling represents a major victory for President Trump’s agenda to dismantle DEI programs across federal agencies, despite concerns from researchers and courts about the arbitrary and discriminatory nature of the funding cancellations. While the court allowed the cancellation of existing grants, it maintained restrictions on the administration’s guidance regarding future funding related to DEI, gender identity, or COVID-19.