Trump administration halts, then releases NIH research funding - Washington Post

Trump administration halts, then releases NIH research funding - Washington Post

The Trump administration temporarily halted all funding for science research issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) before releasing the funds later in the day, according to emails obtained by The Washington Post and federal officials. The halt, which affected about $15 billion in federal funds, was due to a footnote in an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) document limiting what the NIH could spend the money on.

The OMB gave the NIH its full-year apportionment of congressionally mandated funds but included a footnote that permitted NIH obligations only for salaries, administrative expenses, and Clinical Center expenses. Research money, including research grants, R&D contracts, and training awards, could not be issued during this pause.

Neil Shapiro, the NIH’s associate director for budget, sent an email to NIH staff Tuesday afternoon, stating that the OMB’s footnote was interpreted to permit only certain types of spending. He added that the agency was working to make this limitation short-term and temporary. If the money had not been unfrozen, the pause would have affected about $15 billion in federal funds.

Rachel Cauley, an OMB spokeswoman, confirmed that the funds were released after a programmatic review. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the NIH, also confirmed the pause but later referred questions to the OMB’s statement that the funding had been released.

The dustup over NIH spending is part of a debate within the Trump administration over federal spending and whether the government is moving too quickly to institute cuts. Some political appointees have balked at efforts to curb the NIH’s funding, including the OMB’s proposed 40 percent cut to the agency’s budget, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations.

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, in an interview with Federal News Network, stated that he doesn’t see in the Congress any desire to implement the cuts that were proposed in the OMB budget. He noted that the administration’s cuts might be about testing a 1974 budget law by refusing to spend congressionally mandated funds.

The pause in NIH research funding has been criticized by Democrats and research advocacy groups, who argue that any pause would be harmful. Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, criticized the administration for trying to destroy the NIH and argued with OMB Director Russell Vought over whether the administration’s cuts would harm public health and if they were legal.

As of May 1, the NIH had received a little more than half of the congressionally appropriated money it is supposed to receive this year, according to a person familiar with the situation. It should have $46 billion but was operating with just $25 billion until recently.

References:
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/29/trump-administration-nih-funding/
[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/07/29/nih-trump-bhattacharya-budget/