Trump administration pulls $15 million in NIH Alzheimer’s grants over DEI concerns
The current administration cancelled $15 million in NIH funding for Alzheimer’s and brain-health projects at Emory University and the University of Pittsburgh, saying the proposals conflicted with agency priorities.
A new wave of funding withdrawals has struck Alzheimer’s and brain-health research at Emory University and the University of Pittsburgh, with the administration canceling at least three grants worth $15 million. Officials said the projects, which examined how discrimination influences long-term brain outcomes, did not meet NIH’s stated priorities because they relied on self-reported survey data. Researchers such as Ann Cohen, Andrea Rosso and Negar Fani called the cancellations politically motivated and scientifically invalid, noting that the work had already attracted substantial investment.
These terminations follow a 2025 crackdown on DEI-related research that prompted lawsuits and a Supreme Court 5-4 ruling permitting the cancellation of $783 million in NIH funding. Legal scholars argue the administration is testing a new strategy to sidestep earlier court orders. The affected studies aimed to link racial discrimination to Alzheimer’s risk, a crucial issue given that Black Americans face twice the disease prevalence of white peers.
Why it matters
Cutting funding for research on racism and brain health hampers understanding of Alzheimer’s disparities and signals political interference in science.
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