NIH lifts ban on research funding in South Africa

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has lifted a ban on funding research projects in South Africa, ending a 17-month freeze. The disruption followed a February 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump directing agencies to halt foreign aid and assistance to the country.

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya issued an internal memo stating that NIH research grants do not constitute foreign aid and fall outside the scope of the executive order. Bhattacharya noted that Congress has explicitly authorized the NIH to engage in international research collaborations and that the agency's funding mechanisms are not governed by the Foreign Assistance Act.

The reversal aims to protect a critical research ecosystem focused on HIV and tuberculosis. South Africa serves as a major international hub for clinical research due to its established institutions and capacity for large-scale trials. While the lifting of the ban does not represent a new $450 million commitment, that figure reflects the estimated total loss of funding experienced by the country during the freeze. The disruption had previously threatened dozens of research sites and risked the erosion of vital medical infrastructure.