NIH Cuts on Hold After States Sue

A federal judge blocked the National Institutes of Health administration from carrying out a plan to cap payments for costs indirectly related to research after American medical colleges and a coalition of 22 Democratic attorneys general challenged the policy in lawsuits filed Monday. The policy change, which was announced late Friday and briefly in place Monday before the judge blocked it, would likely cost colleges billions if it goes into full effect. The White House said the cap would make more money available for “legitimate scientific research,” though NIH officials touted the change as a way to save more than $4 billion.