The Trump administration has frozen funding for most medical research collaborations between US and foreign partners, dealing a significant blow to thousands of European scientists. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) cited transparency concerns and national security reasons in its policy change. Over $35 billion was allocated to international partnerships last year, with many projects focused on HIV vaccine development, OCD, and malaria vaccines.
The new policy eliminates future grants for sub-award recipients, including those with foreign partners. Current projects will not be immediately affected, but the NIH plans to replace this program by late September. However, researchers are worried that direct funding may become scarce in the future. Europe-based scientists can now apply directly for NIH funding, which is rare and often tied to US grants.
This change has sparked concerns about the impact on international collaboration, as European researchers fear they will be excluded from future projects. The NIH cited oversight problems with 36% of sub-awards issued outside the US, but critics argue that this change is more symbolic than practical.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/health/2025/05/02/trump-administrations-funding-freeze-for-foreign-medical-research-to-hit-european-scientis