A group of researchers are suing the National Institutes of Health for allegedly infringing on their freedom of speech by screening grants for certain words and phrases when making funding decisions.
The suit, brought by 13 named and four anonymous researchers, is seeking to halt the process of searching applications and current grants for specific terms to determine if they should be rejected. The screening process has largely focused on research grants on topics that the Trump administration disfavors, including efforts to diversify the research workforce, or studies on health disparities, climate change, and vaccines. Because the case was filed as a class action lawsuit, if a judge sides with the plaintiffs, that decision will apply not just to the 17 scientist plaintiffs, but to any researcher whose work has been affected by the term searches.
