NIH Cuts Ended Support for 383 Trials, Disrupting More Than 74,000 Participants, Report Finds

NIH funding reductions disrupted hundreds of clinical trials and tens of thousands of participants

A new analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine finds that funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stopped for 383 studies between late February and mid-August, affecting more than 74,000 people enrolled in clinical trials. The halted trials included studies of treatments for cancer, heart disease, neurological conditions and—disproportionately—infectious diseases such as influenza, pneumonia and COVID-19.

How participants were affected

Researchers report a range of disruptions for trial volunteers. Some signed up for studies that never began or were delayed while institutions sought replacement funding. Others lost access to study medications or were left with implanted devices that were no longer being monitored. In many cases, work was stopped before results could be completed or published, denying patients and clinicians evidence that could inform care.

“The disruption to the research enterprise was profound and substantial,” said Heather Pierce, who tracks NIH grant terminations for the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Scope and implications

Investigators identified 11,008 NIH-funded studies during the study period; roughly one in 30 of those projects lost NIH funding. The authors warn that terminating trials harms current participants and can slow or prevent development of new treatments that might benefit future patients.

“The whole purpose of these clinical trials is to generate evidence on what works and doesn’t work in medicine,” said study co-author Anupam B. Jena of Harvard Medical School.

Former NIH institute director Jeremy Berg told reporters the terminations could also erode public trust in research: prospective participants may be less willing to enroll if they fear funding could be pulled unexpectedly.

Agency response and broader context

Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said the NIH is realigning priorities and suggested some clinical trials lost funding because they "prioritized ideological agendas over scientific rigor and meaningful outcomes for the American people." He added, "We strongly reject the intentionally misleading portrayal of our grant management process."

The report notes that the NIH has eliminated billions in research funding under the Trump administration. It also references a Supreme Court decision in August that cleared the way for cuts aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and ongoing legal challenges related to reductions in indirect research costs. In June, hundreds of NIH scientists signed a letter criticizing the policy changes and grant terminations as harmful to the agency's mission and to public health globally.

What this means going forward

Researchers and advocates say the terminations underscore the importance of stable research funding and transparent grant-management processes. They warn that abrupt shifts in funding priorities can harm study participants, waste resources, and delay or prevent important medical advances.

Note: The Associated Press reported the original findings; the JAMA Internal Medicine analysis provides the primary data summarized here.