Scientists sue NIH over alleged ideological grant screening

A group of scientists has filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), alleging the agency is unconstitutionally screening research grants to suppress viewpoints disfavored by the Trump administration. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, names NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as defendants.

The plaintiffs claim the NIH uses a list of approximately 235 keywords—including terms such as “gender,” “Latinx,” “climate change,” and “fossil fuel”—to flag grants for termination, denial, or forced renegotiation. Researchers argue this creates an “ideological litmus test” that targets research related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and other sensitive topics. One researcher, Andrea Rosso of the University of Pittsburgh, reported the cancellation of a nearly $10 million grant despite her willingness to revise terms to avoid specific terminology.

The suit, supported by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, alleges First Amendment violations. It seeks to block the agency from using viewpoint-based policies and to restore canceled grants. The administration has maintained that such measures are necessary to ensure federal funding is directed toward “solid science” and to reverse previous funding priorities.