President Donald Trump’s administration will resume the review process for medical and public health research grants from the National Institutes of Health, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office announced Tuesday afternoon.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the National Institutes of Health (NIH), agreed to a settlement that would reinstate the original process for reviewing grants, a press release from Campbell’s office reads. HHS is run by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Earlier in the year, the Trump administration abruptly cancelled grant review meetings, according to Science Insider. The administration also paused final decisions on grant applications that received approval from panels, leaving states waiting on whether they would receive requested research funding, the press release from Campbell’s office reads.
The attorney general’s office said the delays from the administration caused harm to public research institutions.
“When the Trump Administration unlawfully stalled the review process for NIH grant applications, lifesaving studies related to Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and other devastating illnesses were frozen indefinitely – stealing hope from countless families across the country and putting lives at risk,” Campbell said in the statement.
In April, Campbell, along with 16 other attorneys general, sued the Trump administration in connection with the delay of the grants.
The other attorneys general represent Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.
The settlement between Massachusetts and the HHS was agreed on Dec. 29, according to court documents. Nothing in the agreement, however, forces the HHS to ultimately award any specific grants.
“This agreement ensures that critical medical research projects are able to continue, paving the way for lifesaving medical advancements, driving job creation, and fostering academic competitiveness at Massachusetts’s world class research institutions,” Campbell said.
