NIH Faces Skeptical Judge in Fight Over Slashed Research Grants

A federal judge wrestled Thursday with the NIH’s reasons for terminating hundreds of research grants that are no longer in line with the Trump administration’s priorities.

“DEI grant, what does that mean?” Judge William G. Young for the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts said about terminated grants that related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“I wrestle with this,” Young told the US government. “I know what those words separately mean.”

At issue before the court was a hearing on whether the National Institutes of Health acted unlawfully when it issued “directives,” or actions, that led to cutting ...