HHS obliterates more than $300 million in DEI-related health grants to California alone
In a groundbreaking move, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has terminated over $330 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and gender research in the state of California. This decision, aimed at cutting wasteful spending and refocusing research priorities, has sent shockwaves through the academic and research communities.
According to HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon, the terminated grants were deemed to be wasteful and not aligned with the priorities of the NIH and HHS. The focus now is on research that directly impacts the health of Americans, as the department aims to “Make America Healthy Again.” The terminated grants were predominantly issued to colleges within the California public school system, as well as private colleges and research institutes in the state.
Among the terminated grants were projects such as “Harnessing the power of text messaging to reduce HIV incidence in adolescent males” and “Sex hormone effects on neurodevelopment: Controlled puberty in transgender adolescents.” These projects, along with others focusing on topics like teen pregnancy prevention and structural racism in older men’s health, were seen as not directly contributing to the improvement of American health.
This move comes in the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at removing DEI initiatives from the government’s agenda and restoring merit-based systems. The termination of these grants is part of a larger effort to eliminate DEI practices at the federal level and refocus on merit-based opportunities.
In addition to the grants terminated in California, HHS announced the cancellation of hundreds of other NIH research grants related to DEI and gender across the country, totaling over $350 million. These grants covered a range of topics, including research on structural racism, gender-affirming hormone therapy, and microaggressions.
As federal agencies work to align with the president’s orders, the landscape of research funding and priorities is shifting. The decision to terminate these grants signals a significant change in the direction of research funding and a renewed focus on projects that directly impact the health and well-being of Americans.
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