Science Policy Hub

Federal Grant Funding Updates

AAMC Analysis on the Impact of NIH Grant Terminations 

The AAMC has been closely monitoring and analyzing the impact of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant terminations on U.S. institutions. A new AAMC analysis focuses on a key area of impact: terminations of research training and career development grants that help build the next generation of the biomedical research workforce. Of 2,282 NIH grants terminated as of June 4, 38% were research training and career development grants, accounting for $512 million in lost funding across U.S. institutions. Previous analyses published in May 2025 detailed grant terminations as well as impacts on NIH-funded clinical trials. 

• HHS TAGGS database:
• Grant Watch 

Facilities & Administrative Costs

The AAMC is actively engaged in the ongoing discussion on federal reimbursement of institutional facilities and administrative (F&A) costs, also known as indirect costs. We encourage our community to participate in the work of the Joint Associations Group on Indirect Costs (JAG). 

Funding Information from NIH: 

• As of June 11, NIH has resumed posting notices of funding opportunities on the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts for the first time since January 22, 2025. These posts as well as forecasted NIH funding opportunities are also available on Grants.gov and can be found using the "Search Grants" function. 
• The pages NIH Grants and Funding Information Status and Implementation of New Initiatives and Policies describe changes to NIH grants and funding policies and processes under new priorities. These policy notices as well as revisions to existing funding announcements are available in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts under the "Other Notices" tab. 
• An updated list of NIH study sections and advisory council meetings is available here. 

Federal Research-Related Litigation 

Grant Terminations

• April 2, 2025: American Public Health Association v. National Institutes of Health (District Court) (AAMC Amicus Brief) (List of Grants) 
• April 4, 2025: Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Kennedy, Jr. (District Court) (AAMC Amicus Brief) (List of Grants) 
• April 21. 2025: President and Fellows of Harvard College v. US Department of Health and Human Services et al. 
• May 20, 2025: American Association of Physicians for Human Rights, Inc. et al v. National Institutes of Health et al

Facilities and Administrative (Indirect) Costs

• February 10, 2025: Association of American Medical Colleges v. National Institutes of Health
• April 14, 2025: Association of American Universities v. Department of Energy 
• May 5, 2025: Association of American Universities v. National Science Foundation
• June 16, 2025: Association of American Universities v. Department of Defense

Policy Issues the AAMC is Monitoring 

• NIH on June 12 rescinded an update to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement of a "new Civil Rights term and condition that modifies the current terms and conditions for all NIH grants, cooperative agreements, and other transaction (OT) awards." The HHS Grants Policy Statement and NSF General Grant Conditions, updated earlier this year with similar language, have not been revised following the publication of the NIH notice.
• Other significant changes to NIH grant policies and processes include disabling No-Cost Extension functionality in eRA Commons and changing award structures such that foreign subawards can no longer be nested under a parent grant. 
• The White House on May 5 released an Executive Order on the safety and security of biological research, which will pause all "dangerous gain of function research," as defined in Section 8 of the order. The executive order also pulls back the 2024 policies "United States Government Policy for Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential" and "Framework for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening." Further information is available in a fact sheet and two implementation notices from the NIH (June 18) (May 7). 
• Institutions with active international research programs will likely be impacted by a final rule from the Department of Justice (DOJ) limiting access to Americans' "bulk sensitive personal data" and government-related data by "countries of concern." DOJ on April 11 issued a compliance guide, FAQs, and an implementation and enforcement policy for the final rule. The AAMC previously responded to both an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on this issue.

Forthcoming Implementation Deadlines 

• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is implementing multiple changes that will impact the preparation and peer review of most grant applications submitted to the agency due on or after Jan. 25, 2025.
• The NIH public access policy will go into effect July 1, 2025. 
• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule revising the regulations governing Public Health Service Policies on Research Misconduct, which must be implemented through new institutional policies and procedures by Jan. 1, 2026. For more information, visit the HHS Office of Research Integrity.

Federal Scientific Leadership

• HHS Secretary: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (confirmed 2/13/25)
• NIH Director: Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD (confirmed 3/25/25)
  • NIH Leadership Page 
  • Directors of NIH Institutes and Centers 
• FDA Commissioner: Martin Makary, MD, MPH (confirmed 3/25/25)
  • Director of FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Chief Medical and Scientific Officer: Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH (appointed 5/6/25). 
  • Director of FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER): George Tidmarsh, MD, PhD (appointed 7/21/25)
• CDC Director: Vacant (Susan Monarez, PhD nominated on 3/24/25)
• OSTP Director: Michael Kratsios (confirmed 3/25/25)
• CMS Administrator: Mehmet Oz, MD (confirmed 4/3/25)
• Surgeon General: Vacant (Casey Means, MD nominated on 5/7/25)