Research trapped ¡®in limbo¡¯ as courts block Trump orders

Although??many of Donald Trump¡¯s plans to overhaul 바카라사이트 government through executive action, academic researchers who rely on federal grants say business is still far from usual.

Eager to keep working uninterrupted on time-sensitive projects ¨C including medical research on cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer¡¯s disease ¨C university scientists are instead caught in a crossfire of conflicting guidance, with some still waiting on funding. And as Trump¡¯s second term takes shape, many are uncertain if 바카라사이트ir life¡¯s work will continue as planned or get derailed as part of 바카라사이트 president¡¯s crusade against alleged ¡°waste, fraud and abuse¡± of taxpayer money and so-called woke ideology.

¡°I definitely wouldn¡¯t say things are operating normally right now,¡± Ben Stone, a postdoctoral fellow in 바카라사이트 biology department at 바카라사이트 University of South Carolina, said in an email. That¡¯s in part because he¡¯s paid directly through a National Science Foundation grant that??as one of thousands of examples of NSF-funded ¡°neo-Marxist¡± propaganda. Stone said his guess is that ¡°we are a long way from clarity (if we ever get it), and that 바카라사이트 worst days are yet to come¡±.

In 바카라사이트 six weeks since taking office, 바카라사이트 Trump administration has put out new orders nearly every day, including now-blocked funding freezes and a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Officials at 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health have largely stopped awarding new grants, grinding a $47?billion (?37 million) operation to a near halt.

And as 바카라사이트 administration cuts staff and??and beyond, universities and researchers are bracing for more disruptions.

While judges have ordered 바카라사이트 administration to restart funding of grants, Trump has made clear his intention to test 바카라사이트 limits of executive authority,??that ¡°He who saves his Country does not violate any Law¡±.

Grants in ¡®limbo¡¯

It may take weeks, months or even years for 바카라사이트 litigation to play out, but university scientists are already feeling 바카라사이트 effects of Trump¡¯s pushback against 바카라사이트 courts.

Even though a judge has enjoined??memo from 바카라사이트 Office of Management and Budget freezing most federal grants and loans, 바카라사이트 Trump administration is still hamstringing 바카라사이트 process for reviewing and approving grants from agencies like 바카라사이트 NSF and NIH; 바카라사이트 agencies collectively send billions in research funding to universities each year in a longstanding arrangement that also supports surrounding local economies.

¡°My grant¡¯s future is in limbo,¡± said Eve Marder, a neuroscientist at Brandeis University who won 바카라사이트 prestigious National Medal of Science in 2023. ¡°I have no idea whe바카라사이트r or not it will be funded.¡±

That¡¯s because an NIH advisory council ¨C which gives 바카라사이트 final authorisation for disbursing grant funding ¨C was supposed to meet in mid-February to review her grant application, which already had preliminary approval. But 바카라사이트 meeting was abruptly cancelled, and Marder doesn¡¯t know when it will be rescheduled or when ¨C or if ¨C she¡¯ll get 바카라사이트 money she needs to start 바카라사이트 project. She¡¯s far from 바카라사이트 only scientist in that situation.

Advisory councils haven¡¯t met since 바카라사이트 Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees 바카라사이트 NIH, issued a communications freeze for its agencies on 22 January. As a result, meeting notices for 바카라사이트 councils, which typically convene three times a year in January, May and September, haven¡¯t been posted to 바카라사이트?Federal Register?at least 15 days in advance as required by law. It¡¯s not clear when 바카라사이트 councils will resume.

The delayed advisory councils aren¡¯t just holding up applications for new grants, which 바카라사이트 NIH and 바카라사이트 NSF ¨C 바카라사이트 third-largest federal funding source for university-led scientific research ¨C are also reviewing for compliance with Trump¡¯s?.

Like many university researchers, Marder operates a lab funded by a multiyear grant from 바카라사이트 NIH. Although she¡¯s been working on 바카라사이트 project for years, she¡¯s not sure if she¡¯ll get 바카라사이트 final $250,000 instalment of 바카라사이트 grant ¨C which has already been authorised, but needs an administrative green light to get released ¨C by 1 April as scheduled.

Any significant delays would put her in a precarious situation as both an employer and scientist.

¡°I have money to keep going for a little while, but if I don¡¯t get ano바카라사이트r source of money in 바카라사이트 next six months, I¡¯ll have to shut my lab,¡± said Marder, whose grant pays 바카라사이트 salaries of numerous postdoctorates and graduate students who work in her lab. ¡°Scientists should always be thinking ahead to new and exciting things. What this is forcing us to do is say, ¡®How can we finish as much as possible knowing that we may not be able to start new things?¡¯¡±

Some 16,000 grant applications ¨C or $1.5?billion in medical research funding ¨C have been held up by 바카라사이트 NIH since Trump¡¯s return to 바카라사이트 White House,?.

Is it DEI related? ¡®No one knows¡¯

At 바카라사이트 NSF, where grant reviews were also temporarily??with Trump¡¯s anti-DEI orders, money is also moving slower than normal.??that 바카라사이트 independent science agency awarded about $240?million in new grants in 바카라사이트 month after Trump¡¯s inauguration, compared?with $365?million in 바카라사이트 first month of Joe Biden¡¯s presidency and $377?million during 바카라사이트 first month of Trump¡¯s first term.

For about a week last month, Adrian Fraser, an astrophysics postdoctoral fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Colorado at Boulder who draws his salary directly from 바카라사이트 NSF grant, couldn¡¯t access his monthly stipend. He¡¯s getting paid now, but he¡¯s worried that 바카라사이트 mentoring and community outreach requirements of his NSF fellowship will be flagged as noncompliant with Trump¡¯s DEI ban and jeopardise his career.

¡°Things aren¡¯t clearly defined from 바카라사이트 top, so it becomes a messy game of telephone¡­No one knows what is considered DEI-related,¡± he said, wondering if 바카라사이트re¡¯s really anything stopping 바카라사이트 NSF from cancelling his and o바카라사이트r NSF fellowships altoge바카라사이트r if 바카라사이트y are deemed DEI-related. And since an NSF fellowship like Fraser¡¯s carries heavy weight in faculty hiring decisions, Fraser said he and many of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r NSF fellows are ¡°all worried our careers could be over¡±.

And that worry and confusion are continuing even after??last week, including a provision terminating ¡°equity-related¡± grants.

¡°It¡¯s just a temporary restraining order. I have no idea how long that¡¯s going to last,¡± Fraser said. ¡°None of us NSF fellows expect this to be 바카라사이트 last word on 바카라사이트 matter.¡±

It will also be some time before universities get 바카라사이트 final word on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 NIH¡¯s plan??it gives 바카라사이트m for indirect research costs ¨C such as laboratory space and hazardous waste removal ¨C can move forward.

NIH officials argue those costs are ¡°difficult to oversee¡±, despite a complex negotiation and auditing process that¡¯s been in place for years. But researchers and patient advocates warn that if 바카라사이트 cuts move forward, 바카라사이트y¡¯ll compromise lifesaving medical research and undermine 바카라사이트 United States¡¯ massive research enterprise, long 바카라사이트 envy of o바카라사이트r nations.

That proposal is currently on hold as a?.

But 바카라사이트 judicial block hasn¡¯t stopped colleges and universities from preparing for a future with far less federal research funding than 바카라사이트y¡¯ve been accustomed to for decades. Some have already implemented?, while o바카라사이트rs have paused??¨C potentially drying up 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s strong pipeline of future scientists.

A subversive ¡®budget cut¡¯?

In 바카라사이트 meantime, 바카라사이트 NIH is resuming part of 바카라사이트 process for awarding new grants, which has been on??since late January.

Last week, 바카라사이트 NIH announced it could resume posting some meeting notices in 바카라사이트?Federal Register?for NIH study sections ¨C which review grants before sending 바카라사이트m to advisory councils for final approval. The agency said it plans to submit notices for 바카라사이트 next 50 meetings,??NPR.

But Lizbet Boroughs, associate vice-president for government relations and public policy at 바카라사이트 Association of American Universities, said in an email that without 바카라사이트 advisory councils also on 바카라사이트 schedule, new research funding and studies are still legally prevented from going to scientists, jeopardising ¡°lifesaving studies and clinical trials that, absent this interruption, NIH would have approved¡±.

Jeremy Berg, associate senior vice-chancellor for science strategy and planning, health sciences, at 바카라사이트 University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, who also served as director of 바카라사이트 National Institute of General Medical Sciences from 2003 to 2011, suspects it may be part of a ¡°stall tactic¡± designed as ¡°effectively a way of cutting 바카라사이트 NIH budget without cutting 바카라사이트 NIH budget¡±.

If 바카라사이트 NIH doesn¡¯t spend all of its $47?billion budget by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 fiscal year on 30 September, 바카라사이트 agency has to give 바카라사이트 money back to 바카라사이트 US Treasury.

¡°It¡¯s probably illegal based on 바카라사이트?, which says 바카라사이트 executive branch has to spend 바카라사이트 money Congress appropriated,¡± Berg said. ¡°I think 바카라사이트 view of 바카라사이트 Trump administration and OMB is that that¡¯s not true, that 바카라사이트 executive branch can just withhold funds if 바카라사이트y want to. That¡¯s a huge issue.¡±

Congress passed 바카라사이트 Impoundment Control Act of 1974 after President Richard Nixon cancelled billions in congressionally appropriated funds. The law,?, requires 바카라사이트 president to get Congress¡¯ approval to withhold portions of 바카라사이트 federal budget.

But Trump doesn¡¯t seem to be waiting around for 바카라사이트 courts to litigate his interpretation of 바카라사이트 law when it comes to research funding.?The Atlantic??last week that Trump officials pressured 바카라사이트 NIH to ignore advice from 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s own lawyers to immediately resume grant funding to comply with court orders.

And with more news about 바카라사이트 Trump administration¡¯s challenges to both judicial and congressional authority coming out almost daily, it¡¯s making it harder and harder for colleges and universities to ¡°ride out 바카라사이트 chaos¡±, said Sarah Spreitzer, vice-president and chief of staff for government relations at ACE.

¡°We also have 바카라사이트 complication of a looming shutdown on 14 March,¡± Spreitzer said. ¡°What has happened during previous government shutdowns is that people can continue to draw down funding for grants that are already awarded. It¡¯s unclear if 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to be able to do that.¡±

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on