Researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Sciences at the University of California, San Diego have found that recent federal funding cuts for health equity and gender identity research have disproportionately affected scientists in the very communities the research aims to support. The results of this study were published on May 5, 2026. Lancet Community Health – Americas.
The termination of these grants not only halted specific research projects, but also the careers of many scientists studying the health of marginalized communities. When funding for these topics is lost, researchers with the deepest expertise in the field are often most directly affected. ”
Dr. Rebecca Fielding Miller, Associate Professor, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Geriatric Sciences, University of California, San Diego, and senior author of this study
The NIH is the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research, investing approximately $47 billion annually. The scale of this investment will help U.S. research priorities shape the direction of global health science innovation.
The NIH terminated more than 2,000 research grants between January and May 2025 after changing the agency’s priorities. Many of the affected grants focused on health disparities, including research related to BIPOC communities and sexual and sexual minorities. Additionally, a university-wide effort aimed at addressing allegations of anti-Semitism on campus resulted in the revocation of approximately 600 grants.
To understand who was most affected, the research team looked at researchers whose grants had been terminated in the Grant Witness database. Of the 1,918 researchers invited to participate, 941 completed the survey. To categorize dismissals by just cause, researchers were asked to select from eight possible reasons for dismissal. For example, a participant would be considered to have had an equity-related termination if they indicated that their grant had been terminated because of an “amorphous equity goal,” and a gender-related termination if they indicated that their grant had been terminated because of their “gender identity.”
The analysis found that nearly half (48.6%) of researchers whose grants were terminated for equity-related reasons were BIPOC. Of the grants terminated for gender-related reasons, 60% of researchers identified as sexual or sexual minorities, including 16.5% who were transgender or non-binary. Inequality has expanded beyond simple expression. Among researchers whose grants were terminated, BIPOC women and transgender or non-binary researchers were nearly three times more likely to have their grants terminated on equity grounds than white men. Sexual and gender minority researchers were more than 11 times more likely to experience gender-related dismissals than heterosexual or cisgender researchers.
The study also found that 20.5% of researchers affected by organization-wide firings related to allegations of anti-Semitism were Jewish, raising questions about the effectiveness of these measures as a mechanism to protect Jewish researchers.
The findings build on previous research showing that disparities already exist in the biomedical funding system. Previous research has found that scientists from underrepresented backgrounds are more likely to study health disparities and community-based topics that have historically received less funding.
“When funding disruptions disproportionately impact researchers focused on health disparities, the impact extends far beyond their individual careers,” Fieldingmiller said. “They also shape what scientific questions are asked and whose health is ultimately the focus.”
The authors warn that the effects could last for years. Because research careers and funding successes tend to accumulate over time, losing even one grant can derail projects, disrupt community partnerships, and limit future funding opportunities, especially for early-career researchers.
Looking ahead, researchers say restoring and sustaining equity-related health research funding will be critical to retaining a diverse scientific workforce and ensuring biomedical research reflects the needs of all communities.
“If we want a scientific enterprise that works for everyone, we must ensure that scientists who study the health of marginalized communities can continue their work,” Fielding-Miller said.
sauce:
University of California San Diego
Reference magazines:
Fielding Miller, R. Others. (2026). Scientific grant detargeting and the status of minority researchers in a national survey: A cross-sectional analysis. Lancet Community Health – Americas. DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2026.101478. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/TLRHAMERICAS/article/PIIS2667-193X(26)00108-0/fulltext
