Position statement: congress must put an end to unlawful NIH grant cancellations

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports critical biomedical and behavioral health research conducted in the United States through grant funding every year. Recently, several NIH grants that had been awarded and passed full scientific peer review were suspended or canceled with little scientific or performance rationale. As a result of the NIH grant suspensions, important research related to Cancer, COVID-19, and mental health, among others, have been affected, with a loss of at least $643 million in funding. The grant suspensions have halted clinical trials in progress, and could be setting back important biomedical trials and research related to chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which could benefit the public. While the grant cuts have been claimed to be due to a lack of scientific validity, rigor, or public benefit, these assertions are contrary to the findings of the NIH, researchers, and experts in the field who were initially involved in evaluating and awarding the grants. In order to prevent further unwarranted grant cancellations, we ask congress to consider holding oversight hearings regarding the NIH grant suspensions. Additionally, we ask that they introduce or support legislation that would help to prevent further unjustified grant suspensions and secure predictable funding for biomedical and behavioral health research. Congress must prevent the termination of NIH research grants that have already been awarded through lawful, competitive processes. Legislators must use their constitutional spending authority to ensure agencies execute appropriated funds, to ensure funding efficiency, life-saving medical innovation, and US scientific competitiveness globally. Lay summary Grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for health research, including research on vaccines and health disparities, have been suspended after going through the process of peer review and being awarded a grant. The reasons for the grant suspensions go against the findings of the NIH on the scientific validity, importance, and benefit to the public of the research being conducted, with a lack of justification being given to congress, the researchers, or the public. To address the NIH grant cancellations and try to prevent further suspensions, we ask congress to initiate hearings focused on the grant cancellations and introduce legislation to prevent unwarranted grant cancellations in the future.