Attorney General Bonta Secures Ruling Striking Down Terminations and Withholding of Medical and Public Health Research Grants

Judge sides with States, calling out the Trump Administration for an “appalling” pattern of discrimination against vulnerable communities

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta yesterday secured a ruling by U.S. District Judge William Young, a Reagan Administration appointee in the District of Massachusetts, who ruled that the Trump Administration’s directives to terminate National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants to public health research institutions in plaintiff states were unlawful. The court struck down both the termination of the grants and the underlying executive orders under the Administrative Procedure Act. Judge Young stated that the Trump Administration’s conduct represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America's LGBTQ community, and that he had “never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable” in his 40 years on the bench. With this decision, the court ordered the terminated grants in plaintiff states to be restored. This will allow California universities to resume their work of life-saving biomedical advancement while the case proceeds. The court will consider next steps in the case, including addressing the issue of whether NIH has unreasonably delayed new grant applications. 

“The Trump Administration’s illegal attack on NIH grants is an assault on life-saving medical research, and our diverse communities who rely on it, and I’m glad to see the court has recognized the merits of our case,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today’s decision restores grant funding to research institutions in plaintiff states that were terminated due to the Trump Administration’s reckless and discriminatory anti-DEI directives. The California Department of Justice will continue to fight for our diverse communities and the research institutions that do crucial work to advance our understanding of human disease and potential treatments.”

Background

On April 4th, 2025, Attorney General Bonta co-led a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the NIH for failing to disperse grant funds and for unlawfully terminating existing grants for medical and public health research institutions across the country. The lawsuit alleged that NIH had terminated large swaths of already-issued grants for projects that are currently underway based on the projects’ perceived connection to “DEI,” “transgender issues,” “vaccine hesitancy,” and other topics disfavored by the current Administration. In boilerplate letters issued to the grants’ recipients, NIH claimed that each cancelled project “no longer effectuates agency priorities.” On April 14th, the coalition filed an amended complaint and motion for preliminary injunction. The court later set the case for trial on the merits dividing the case into two parts, the first being whether the termination of existing grants was illegal and the second whether the delay in processing new grants was unreasonable. 

NIH is the federal agency responsible for biomedical and public health research. Over 80% of Congressional funding supports NIH research and training at external labs, schools, and hospitals. It is estimated that every $1 invested in NIH research generates $2.56 of economic activity.

Over the years, NIH-supported research has had a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of the American people. NIH scientists pioneered the rubella vaccine, eradicating a disease that, in the 1960s, killed thousands of babies and left thousands more with lifelong disabilities. NIH studies led to the discovery of the BRCA mutation, helping countless Americans reduce their risk of breast and ovarian cancer. NIH research fueled the development of treatments for HIV and AIDS, transforming what used to be a fatal disease into one with a nearly normal life expectancy.   

The coalition will be filing a proposed order with the court in the coming days.