The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is set to cancel or scale back more than 40 research grants focused on vaccine hesitancy and strategies to increase vaccine acceptance, according to an internal email obtained by The Washington Post.
The decision follows shifting funding priorities and has sparked concerns among public health experts.
The NIH has directed the termination of multiple research grants examining vaccine hesitancy and uptake, according to an internal agency email. The move affects more than 40 awards to researchers nationwide who aim to understand why vaccine acceptance has declined, The Washington Post reported.
The email, titled "required terminations — 3/10/25," was sent Monday morning and instructed NIH officials to notify affected grant recipients by the end of the day. It stated, "It has been determined they do not align with NIH funding priorities related to vaccine hesitancy and/or uptake."
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new secretary of the NIH's parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has long been a vocal critic of vaccines. He has promoted debatable information about a purported connection between vaccines and autism, despite repeated scientific studies claiming to debunk such claims.
It is unclear if Kennedy played a role in the decision to terminate the grants.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, another HHS agency, was directed by the Trump administration to launch a study into a possible link between vaccines and autism, despite research disproving such a connection.
The grant termination order was sent by Michelle Bulls, director of the NIH's Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration. The email instructed agency officials to use standardized language when informing researchers about the funding cuts: "It is the policy of NIH not to prioritize research activities that focus on gaining scientific knowledge on why individuals are hesitant to be vaccinated and/or explore ways to improve vaccine interest and commitment. … Therefore, the award is terminated."
The decision comes at a critical time, as public health officials warn of increasing measles outbreaks. More than 200 cases have been reported across 12 states, and two deaths have been attributed to the disease. Measles vaccination rates among U.S. kindergarteners have declined since 2019, with more parents seeking exemptions for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons.
"There is an urgent need to enhance vaccine acceptance behavior, especially due to the potential resurgence of measles and COVID-19 still looming," said Manoj Sharma, a professor of social and behavioral health at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, who previously worked on a CDC-funded study about vaccine hesitancy.
The NIH, the world's largest sponsor of biomedical research, has also recently cut funding for projects related to China and transgender research, according to social media posts by Elon Musk's DOGE, which has been leading government efforts to curb federal spending.
The NIH database lists two active grants for Chinese universities.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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