NIH Policy Prohibits Grants to Universities with DEI Initiatives
Published May 05, 2025
By AACOM Government Relations
Federal Policy
Higher Education
- On April 21, 2025, NIH announced a new policy requiring grant recipients to certify they do not run DEI programs that violate federal anti-discrimination laws or promote "discriminatory equity ideology” in order to receive new awards.
- Recipients must refrain from participating in any boycotts against Israeli companies or those affiliated with Israel. Failure to comply may result in the termination of financial assistance awards and the recovery of funds.
- The policy applies to recipients of “new, renewal, supplement, or continuation awards” issued on April 21 or afterward. NIH will terminate awards and claw back grant funding from organizations that violate the new terms.
- This action is aligned with other administrative directives to end federal support for DEI programs. Several NIH and other federal research grants have since been canceled over claims they support “non-scientific” projects, prompting lawsuits from university researchers, a public health group and a major higher ed union.
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