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A federal judge in Massachusetts issued a nationwide preliminary injunction Wednesday stopping the Trump administration from gutting grant payments from the National Institutes of Health that fund research at Oregon Health & Science University.
The order stops Trump and billionaire cost-cutting consultant Elon Musk from slashing the payments for indirect research costs—like electricity and heat in labs—that accompany the NIH grants that pay researchers' salaries.
The administration shocked medical researchers last month when it cut the amounts given for indirect costs of every grant from as much as 60% to 15%. Institutions negotiate the indirect percentage with the NIH. OHSU’s has been 56%. OHSU officials say the 15% rate would make much of its research impossible given the costs.
The preliminary injunction prevents the Trump administration from going through with the cuts while the judge hears arguments in lawsuits seeking to stop them. Among those suits is one filed by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and 21 other state attorneys general. The injunction applies to all states, not just those that joined the legal action.
“This is a big win for science and public health,” Rayfield said. “The Trump administration’s cuts would have hurt research that’s vital to our future, and we’re glad the court stepped in to stop that. We will keep fighting to make sure that lifesaving and life-changing medical research and innovation aren’t held back by reckless decisions driven by politics.”
OHSU is the biggest recipient of NIH funding in Oregon. The University of Oregon, Oregon State University and the University of Portland also rely on NIH grants for research. In total, the state receives almost $1 billion from the agency each year. Those grants support 5,000 jobs in Oregon, according to United for Medical Research, a nonprofit that advocates for NIH funding.
“This is welcome news for scientists at OHSU and across the country who have dedicated their careers to innovative biomedical science,” Peter Barr-Gillespie, OHSU’s chief research officer, said in a statement. “OHSU’s research mission is under threat from the actions of the administration and we must do all we can to protect it.”