HHS research agency ends funding for dozens of health studies

Source: Roll Call

Posted July 17, 2026 at 4:14pm


The Trump administration terminated dozens of health research grants this week, telling grantees it is shifting priorities to issues like the “overmedication of children” and autism, according to a prominent research organization. The cuts hit projects at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, many of them multiyear awards that had already been indefinitely delayed.

At least 67 grants — a significant share of the agency’s portfolio — have been canceled as of Friday, according to AcademyHealth, a professional organization for health services researchers. The number is likely to increase, as new reports of cancellations come in, it said.

Many of the impacted grants supported junior researchers and innovative studies focused on patient care, and the funding delays have forced layoffs and the shutdown of programs already underway. “Tens of millions of dollars have already been invested in these projects,” said Aaron E. Carroll, president and CEO of AcademyHealth. “People have been hired. Patients have been recruited. Lots of work is going on, and all of that is now wasted.”

AHRQ is a small agency under the Health and Human Services Department responsible for funding research into how health care delivery can be safer and better for patients.

Read more: https://rollcall.com/2026/07/17/hhs-research-agency-ends-funding-for-dozens-of-health-studies/