Confusion at NIH as administration halts, then releases, billions of dollars for scientific research

Source: ABC News

July 30, 2025, 4:06 PM


Billions of dollars of National Institutes of Health research were stuck in limbo for hours, causing confusion after a memo from the Office of Management and Budget appeared to direct a halt to its funding.

The funding halt at NIH came after an OMB memo's footnote was interpreted to mean the release of money for research grants was prohibited, according to an email sent to NIH staff Tuesday afternoon by its associate director for budget, Neil Shapiro. "We are working to make this limitation short-term and temporary," Shapiro wrote in the email.

This back-and-forth comes after a string of large-scale cuts at the Health and Human Services Department, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., that has cast agencies such as NIH, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into confusion as they execute directives from the top.

Following reporting by several outlets, OMB reversed the decision publicly, with a spokesperson saying on Tuesday evening the money was "undergoing a programmatic review" but "is being released."

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/confusion-nih-administration-halts-releases-billions-dollars-scientific/story?id=124211213