On 16 June, 2025 William Young, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, was taken on a new question: whether the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has, following official or unofficial directives from President Donald Trump’s administration, violated the law by abruptly canceling hundreds of grants studying topics such as transgender health, vaccine skepticism, and health equity – an accusation that Young has called "breathtaking".

Several attorneys who spoke to Science say the plaintiffs have a strong case because termination letters NIH sent to scientists simply say their research "no longer effectuates agency priorities". The plaintiffs claim NIH has never clearly defined these priorities and therefore has violated federal laws delineating how agencies can change their rules and cancel funding without notice. District judge could declare terminations unlawful – or toss suit based on technicalities.

Source: https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-s-cuts-more-1700-nih-grants-get-court-hearing

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