Some active research grants related to studies involving LGBTQ+problems, gender identity and diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) were canceled at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) because they were suspected of not meeting the current “priority” of administration.
Starting last week, at least 24 termination letters were sent to researchers at various universities and dozens were more likely to occur, an official with knowledge about the problem, who asked for anonymity, was confirmed to ABC News.
According to a copy of several termination letters, seen by ABC News, canceled grants involved research about “transgender problems” and “gender identity,” including studying stress in older LGBTQ+ adults and epidemiology of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia in older LGBTQ+ adults.
“This award no longer affects the priority of the agency,” all letters rang. “Research programs based on gender identity are often unscientific, have a little return on investment that can be identified, and does nothing to improve the health of many Americans. Many such studies ignore, rather than seriously checking, biological reality. This is a policy not to prioritize this research program.”
“The premise … is not in accordance with the agency priority, and there is no project modification that can align the project with the agency priority,” continued the letter.
The letter states that this allows the grant recipient to “take the appropriate corrective action” before the termination decision is permitted. However, the letters stated “There is no corrective action that is possible here.”
The patient’s entrance at the National Institutes of Health was displayed at Bethesda, MD., 16 October 2014.
Gary Cameron/Reuters, File
It happened when President Donald Trump had made a big change to the federal government in the first few weeks in the office, including issuing new guidance that only recognized two sexes, swear “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism“And issue some executive orders that aim to dismantle Dei’s initiative.
Both and the White House immediately replied to ABC News’s comments requests.
In addition, this Institutes and Center is asked to review awards for new and sustainable projects to ensure they do not “contain Dei or Dei research activities that provide perceptions that funds can be used to support this activity.”
According to the guide document, obtained by ABC News, employees are asked to place these projects in one of the four categories. Category one is if the project goal is merely related to Dei, in this case the award cannot be issued.
Category two involves the “partial” project supports Dei’s activities. This award can only be given if the “non -compliant” activity is negotiated from the project.
Category three involves projects that do not support Dei’s activities but may contain related languages, which must be deleted before the award can be issued, and category four involves projects that do not support Dei activities.
It is not clear what the meant by the project to support Dei’s activities or contain dei language, but the guidance document includes examples -example such as the purpose of the meeting becomes a diversity or “statement of institutional commitment to diversity.”
On Wednesday, a federal judge issued A national order Blocking this from making cuts to research funds that are warned by researchers can endanger medical and scientific research and have the potential to influence treatment in the US
“As clarified by the declaration that supports preliminary orders to the implementation of notification of changes in levels, hazard risk for research institutions and outside is direct, destroying, and cannot be improved,” US District Judge Angel Kelley writes about efforts to limit indirect costs at 15%, adding efforts to cut funds that violate federal law.
It still needs to be seen whether the order will have an impact on projects from universities that receive a termination letter.
ABC News’ Peter Charalambous contributes to this report.