The National Institutes of Health has awarded roughly 1,900 new competitive grants between October and late March, less than half the pace typical under the Biden administration. A new computational text‑analysis tool screens proposals for terms such as “racism,” “gender” and “vaccination refusal,” slowing approvals and leaving about $1 billion of earmarked research money unspent.

Staff cuts and a prolonged 2025 government shutdown have hollowed out review teams; one institute now operates with fewer than half the compliance staff it needs. The shortfall threatens to leave up to $500 million of congressional appropriations unspent, while the National Cancer Institute reports only $72 million available for new grants, a drop from the usual $250 million.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces bipartisan criticism in hearings, and NIH director Jay Bhattacharya defends the policy as a purge of “ideologically motivated” science. Researchers like Columbia psychiatry professor Joshua Gordon warn that funding uncertainty is forcing layoffs and stalling projects, underscoring the immediate impact on the biomedical pipeline.