Trump Administration Forces NIH Meeting Cancellations

Some scientific meetings involving the NIH were abruptly cancelled this week, leaving researchers concerned about their work and the implications for science under the second Trump administration.

An email from an NIH official to a group that reviews federal grant applications for scientific research stated the following: “At the present time, all federal advisory committee meetings are cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.”

The email viewed by MedPage Today also noted that a planned meeting for the group on Thursday would be rescheduled. “We will be back in touch with you when we have further information,” it concluded. “Thank you for your service to NIH.”

Science reported the NIH is also impacted by an HHS-wide travel ban, as well as by the federal government-wide hiring freeze. It’s not clear if the cancellations are related to a recent pause on communications rippling through federal health agencies — one that even halted the publication of CDC’s flagship journal Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.

In an emailed statement in response to questions regarding the cause and scope of the pause and how it could affect current or future research, NIH confirmed a temporary pause, pointing to a transition in administrations.

HHS “has issued a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health,” NIH stated. “This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization. There are exceptions for announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical, but they will be made on a case-by-case basis.”

HHS did not immediately provide additional comment.

Meanwhile, a number of postings by researchers and healthcare professionals on social media expressed concern regarding what the pause would mean for operations at the NIH, a leader of medical research in the U.S. and globally.

“Today’s been a helluva day for public health,” Mark Hayward, PhD, a population health scientist and professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote on Bluesky Wednesday afternoon. “The muzzling of public health information at CDC, the shutting down of [diversity, equity, and inclusion]-related research projects and training programs, council meetings and scientific peer review panels on hold. A scorched earth approach to population health science and training.”

“There’s just lots of uncertainty,” Hayward further told MedPage Today in an interview. Regarding NIH, this includes questions about what researchers will and won’t be able to study going forward. Additionally, there is concern over the effect of “even a small hold” on certain research projects, the potential for cancelling certain projects, economic impact on the home states of research, overall scientific impact, and the availability of “quality research done in a timely way.”

“Some very concerning things going on at NIH related to the ‘pause’ in communication,” echoed another posting on BlueSky by Pamela Herd, PhD, researcher and professor of social policy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “Basic things, like grant review panels, panels that determine whether scored proposals will receive funding, and generic training sessions, all canceled.” (The post, from Wednesday, appears to have since been deleted.)

And, “[a]ll NIH study sections canceled indefinitely,” Jane Liebschutz, MD, MPH, internal medicine physician and researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, wrote on the platform. “This will halt science and devastate research budgets in universities.”

However, she added the following in another post: “Before panic sets [in]. The New NIH Director and Congress will want research to continue, so the machine will start up at some point. Keep writing papers and preparing proposals. AND educate the public about the key role peer review plays in science and the time and infrastructure investment needed.”

It remains to be seen how long the pause will last, and what any potential impacts on research ultimately are.

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