Max Kozlov

Exclusive | Trump Administration Blocks Funding for CDC Health Programs The White House budget office recently reversed a decision to freeze about $15 billion in research funding for the NIH.

The Trump administration is blocking funding for a swath of public health programs run by the CDC, the latest flashpoint in a push by the White House to withhold money already approved by Congress www.wsj.com/politics/pol... w @lizessleywhyte.bsky.social

UCLA's NIH grants are also impacted, its chancellor says. The university receives about $500m in NIH funds each year.

NIH grants staff I've spoken to haven't heard anything. But for institutions frozen out by the Trump admin, the agency now issues awards but limits their ability to withdraw funds.

‘Congress has your back’: US senators tell scientists they want to protect NIH budget Senate budget bill includes small increase for the health-research agency — but faces a long road before being signed into law.

Full story here ⤵️

“Given the alternative, the Senate’s recommendation of a $400m increase for NIH is an indication the agency still has support on Capitol Hill,” says Jennifer Zeitzer of FASEB. “A 40% cut would have been devastating, so this is a good outcome in a tough year.”

Another important bit that's absent from the bill — collapsing NIH's 27 institutes into 8, and getting rid of some like the minority-health and nursing-research institutes.

The 27 institutes and centers would stay the same under this proposal.

While I think it's unlikely that Congress passes these appropriations bills, they're important for what they signal.

For example, the Trump admin's attempt to cap indirect cost recovery rates remain a *huge* threat to scientific research. Here, the Senate is signaling no interest in such caps.

Interesting adopted amendment from Sen Reed re. clinical trials abroad targeted by the NIH's ban on foreign subawards.

The amendment allows "reimbursements and other funding arrangements with research partners abroad to foster pediatric cancer, rare disease, HIV and infectious disease
research."

Here's the Baldwin amendment that DOES effectively prevent NIH from implementing multi-year funding.

Deleted my previous post; the amendments hadn't been posted yet. h/t @davidimiller.bsky.social

TY!

Breaking: NSF is suspending roughly 300 grants with UCLA, following a DOJ finding on Tuesday that the university violated Title VI by "creating a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students."

In a party line vote, the panel voted against including an amendment that would have reinstated frozen and terminated HHS (including NIH) grants.

"Every President has the prerogative to implement new goals and priorities," says Sen Capito (R-WV).

Their NIH Grants Are Back. But Nothing Is Back to Normal. Researchers say that picking up where they left off is complicated — scientifically, financially, and logistically.

NEW: Their NIH grants are back, but nothing is back to normal.

In June, a judge ordered the restoration of 900+ terminated grants. So how's that going? Scientists say they're happy, but also it's been a bumpy road—and they're afraid their funds will get cut again. www.chronicle.com/article/thei...

The NIH budget will INCREASE by $400 million — not slashed by 40%, as Trump proposed — according to a proposal by Senate appropriators, says Sen Murray.

"Some have asked if there will even be an NIH by [2029]. The commmittee's resounding message is yes—Congress has your back", she says.

‘Sleeping’ cancer cells in the lungs can be roused by COVID and flu Inflammation from the respiratory infections seems to be the culprit, study in mice finds.

Hidden in the lungs of some breast cancer survivors are tumor cells that can remain dormant for decades — until they one day trigger a relapse.

Now, experiments show for the first time these rogue cells can be roused from their slumber by common respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 or the flu.

Brown University reaches agreement with Trump administration to restore federal research funding, reports the Boston Globe.

In exchange for the restoration of nearly $50 million in research grants, Brown will pledge $50 million over the next 10 years to state workforce development orgs in RI.

I'm not sure I've ever seen anything that better captures Trump's second term. Note the "reported to be". Six months in and it wasn't even clear whether he was the head of the office. And in fact he wasn't. Or maybe he was. But now he's out. www.statnews.com/2025/07/30/w...

Top White House pandemic preparedness official resigns, officials say, in sign of broader disarray Exclusive: A top White House pandemic preparedness official has resigned, officials tell STAT, in a sign of broader disarray.

When reports circulated in February that the White House had selected Gerald Parker as the head of its pandemic response office, there was palpable relief among infectious disease experts.

Parker resigned after 6 months — and was never actually appointed the formal head of the office, STAT reports.

Justice Department Releases Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice released Guidance to ensure that recipients of federal funding do not engage in unlawful discrimination.  In particular, it clarifies that federal antidis...

New from DOJ.

This is as close to a definition of "DEI" for purposes of grant terminations that the Trump Admin / Republicans have offered so far.

In short: they claim any consideration of race or sex (or religion or nationality)--**or proxies for them**--is unlawful.

HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirms: "The programmatic review is over. The funds are out."

No clarity on the topic of the "review" or the about-face that occurred yesterday.

Email from Matt Memoli to NIH leadership this morning:

"I am happy to report that due to the OD efforts, the funding restrictions have been fully lifted by OMB. We can resume all funding and obligations. Thank you for your patience with this brief pause."

Until scientists have more answers, cancer survivors are recommended to take extra precautions to avoid respiratory infections and consider vaccination against pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and flu virus, says study co-author @jdegregori.bsky.social.

Confirmation of this link could lead to new treatments for cancer survivors, says @megeblad.bsky.social. Physicians have used treatments aimed to reduce inflammation in people w/ severe COVID.

Future work should investigate the effectiveness of such drugs in preventing cancer recurrence, she says.

‘Sleeping’ cancer cells in the lungs can be roused by COVID and flu Inflammation from the respiratory infections seems to be the culprit, study in mice finds.

Hidden in the lungs of some breast cancer survivors are tumor cells that can remain dormant for decades — until they one day trigger a relapse.

Now, experiments show for the first time these rogue cells can be roused from their slumber by common respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 or the flu.

Senior White House officials intervened to scrap the OMB effort to halt funding to the NIH, reports @nidhisubs.bsky.social, who broke the story for the WSJ

bsky.app/profile/nidh...

Trump administration halts, then releases, NIH research funding The decision temporarily froze $15 billion in federal funding, according to one senator. It came as Trump officials wrestle over federal spending levels.

The whiplash continues: the WaPo now reports that OMB halted, and then hours later unhalted, these NIH funds.

I'll be watching for any sign of NIH fund restriction this week and will post as soon as I hear more.

Know what's going on? DM me on Signal (mkozlov.01). You can stay anonymous.

The White House heard all your concerns about 4% paylines

The solution? 0% paylines

...and Clinical Center expenses.

Research grant, R&D contract, or training awards cannot be issued during this pause. We are working to make this limitation short-term and temporary, and will provide updates as available."

I can confirm the news. Leadership received an email today saying

"NIH has received the full-year apportionment from OMB, but it contains a footnote that limits our obligations. At the moment, ASFR has interpreted this footnote to permit NIH obligations only for salaries, administrative expenses...

NIH also employs scientists, or intramural researchers. This affects all researchers at universities and institutions across the world, or extramural researchers.

Trump Administration Puts New Chokehold on Billions in Health-Research Funding The National Institutes of Health can’t award grants to outside researchers under a new White House restriction.

The NIH can’t award ANY grants to outside researchers under new WH restriction, reports @wsj.com.

The pause came in the form of a footnote from OMB Director Vought, in a document that doles out federal funds to the NIH.

Prelude to rescissions, especially after his comments over the weekend?

TAPPER: 14 Republicans say you're risking undermining critical research by holding up NIH funding

VOUGHT: If they were a company, their stock price would in shambles. They in some respects caused the pandemic. You have an entire institute that does nothing more than DEI research at the NIH.