1 week Ago By Todd Karpovich
The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore are adjusting to cuts in research grants from the National Institute of Health as a result of President Donald Trump limiting access to federal research funding.According to the latest data reported by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services last week, Hopkins was awarded more $6.42 million through 12 grants from the NIH. Eight of those grants, totaling $2.
79 million, already have an anticipated cancellation amount of $1.58 million. The remaining four grants, consisting of $1.
76 million, have been terminated, but the anticipated amount canceled is still pending.Research for the terminated grants at Hopkins ranged from “characterizing economic determinants of violence and safety disparities among sexual and gender diverse populations” to research on monkeypox and influenza vaccinations.“We face challenging times for the patients and families that rely on us for cures and treatments, and for the researchers dedicated to the pursuit of improving the health of all Americans,” a university spokesperson said in a statement.
“These are cuts to research that will take away prevention strategies and treatments from American patients facing infectious and chronic diseases.”Hopkins is the top recipient of funds from the National Institutes of Health. Hopkins received more than $1 billion from the NIH in fiscal year 2024, according to a court filing by Laurent Heller, the university’s executive vice president for finance and administration.
Hopkins has joined litigation against the Trump administration’s efforts to cut NIH funding. Those cuts have been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.There have been suggestions that Hopkins could use its $13 billion endowment to make up for what it loses in federal grants.
However, $10 billion of that comes with donor restrictions, according to its most recent financial statement.UMB lost one grant on the latest HHS list for “assessing intersectional, multilevel and multidimensional structural racism for English- and Spanish-speaking populations in the U.S.
” The total amount was $75,405, with an anticipated cancellation amount of $62,080.03.However, UMB has received 11 other termination notices from federal research grant-funders overall.
The combined value of those contracts, including the one on the latest list, is $5.87 million this year, with an additional anticipated future funding loss of $11.6 million.
In nearly every instance, the reason cited for cancellation is that the grant involves gender identity issues or promotes diversity, equity and inclusion, according to Alex Likowski, spokesperson for UMB.An example of such rationale in one letter states: “This award no longer effectuates agency priorities. Research programs based primarily on artificial and non-scientific categories, including amorphous equity objectives, are antithetical to the scientific inquiry, do nothing to expand our knowledge of living systems, provide low returns on investment, and ultimately do not enhance health, lengthen life, or reduce illness.
Worse, so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion (‘DEI’) studies are often used to support unlawful discrimination on the basis of race and other protected characteristics, which harms the health of Americans.”Although the details of each grant are different, UMB believes they represent important steps to improve public health and promote the advancement of science. In many instances, the university plans to seek to reverse a grant’s cancellation following the normal administrative appeals process.
“Our close partnership with federal agencies has always been productive and has enabled us to improve countless lives here at home and around the world,” Likowski said in an email. “We will hold fast to our commitment to improve health and quality of life through discovery, innovation, and clinical care and we hope that our partners will provide the resources we need to continue that work.”The University of Maryland, College Park was not listed on the latest HHS report.
Baltimoe Sun reporter Jean Marbella contributed to this report. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at [email protected] or on X as @ToddKarpovich.
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