A victory for scientists: NIH halts new grant terminations

Yesterday, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have halted further terminations of grants: a key request from NIH scientists in the Bethesda Declaration.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 26, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- This week before congress, Health and Human Service Secretary Robert F. Kennedy declined to acknowledge the Bethesda Declaration, despite being a recipient. Yesterday, in response to Judge William Young's recent decision, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have halted further terminations of grants. This action was one of five key requests made by over 400 NIH scientists who issued the Bethesda Declaration.

Grants at the agency had recently been terminated illegally and unethically. Federal District Judge Young ruled that hundreds of NIH grant terminations had been illegal, calling them a shocking example of racial discrimination by the government, and ordered the immediate reinstatement of the grants. This is a moment of victory for the federal employees who authored and signed the Bethesda Declaration; they have spoken out in unprecedented ways during an unprecedented time. To date over 30,000 people, including over 60 Nobel laureates, signed in support of these whistleblowers.

“When the American public thinks about 'fraud, waste, and abuse' in government spending, they aren't thinking about cancelling live saving research. Judge Young's verdict and the subsequent stop on active grant cancellation is a big step in the right direction of stopping this unjustified and illegal attack on science in the US,” says Colette Delawalla, Executive Director of Stand Up for Science, the nonprofit hosting the Bethesda Declaration.

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About Stand Up for Science: Stand Up for Science is a grassroots Washington, D.C. based 501(c)4 non-profit organization mobilizing the fight for science and democracy. We formed Stand Up for Science within days of executive orders breaking down federal science agencies. Weeks later, on March 7th, our first National Day of Action, we mobilized over 50,000 people at 170+ events across the world in support of science. We received coverage from local, national, and international outlets, including Science, Nature, The New York Times, Forbes Magazine, Scientific American, STAT News, and The Scientist. An opinion piece written by our founding leadership team is also available in Nature Human Behavior: “Why we organized ‘Stand Up for Science.’”

Brian Lovett
Stand Up for Science
brian@standupforscience.net