Significant cuts to biomedical research funding were ordered under the Trump administration, particularly targeting the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and related agencies.
The most direct cuts amounted to nearly $783 million early in Trump’s second term, but broader proposals and enacted terminations impact much larger totals—up to $18 billion (about a 40% reduction) in proposed NIH funding for the 2026 fiscal year, and $1.81 billion in NIH grants terminated in early 2025 alone [1][2][3][4].
| Item | Amount Cut / Proposed | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Grants Terminated (early 2025) | $1.81 billion[2] | NIH across 24 institutes |
| Supreme Court-approved cuts (2025) | $783 million[1][5] | Research related to DEI, minority health, HIV, etc. |
| Proposed NIH Budget Cut (FY2026) | $18 billion (~40%)[3][4] | Reducing NIH budget from $45.5b to $27.5b |
| Indirect Cost Ceiling for Grants | Savings up to $4 billion[7] | Halving average overhead reimbursement rate |
In sum, while the Trump administration initiated and proposed cuts to biomedical research funding amounting to billions of dollars—primarily targeting NIH and related agencies—successful implementation has been constrained by court orders and Congressional opposition.
The justifications provided centered on opposing DEI and “ideological” research, controlling costs, and redirecting funds to what were described as higher-priority areas, but these moves were widely criticized as damaging to scientific progress and disproportionately harming minority and health disparity research[1][3][2][7][6].