Scott Delaney
@scott-delaney.bsky.social
Co-founder of Grant Witness: https://grant-witness.us
Epidemiologist. Attorney. Social, legal, and environmental determinants of health.
On Signal: sdelaney.84
Epidemiologist. Attorney. Social, legal, and environmental determinants of health.
On Signal: sdelaney.84
We knew this regulation was going into effect, but we didn't yet know whether and how NIH might seek to use it.
Yesterday, we found out. NIH will indeed add specific language to new grant terms and, in doing so, it'll preserve the option to use this new power.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
2/
Yesterday, we found out. NIH will indeed add specific language to new grant terms and, in doing so, it'll preserve the option to use this new power.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
2/
November 19, 2025 at 1:35 PM
We knew this regulation was going into effect, but we didn't yet know whether and how NIH might seek to use it.
Yesterday, we found out. NIH will indeed add specific language to new grant terms and, in doing so, it'll preserve the option to use this new power.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
2/
Yesterday, we found out. NIH will indeed add specific language to new grant terms and, in doing so, it'll preserve the option to use this new power.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
2/
But then something awesome happened.
The gov't took a short break for the 4th of July 🇺🇸. When NIH staff were done celebrating our nation's birthday, they returned with a vengeance.
Immediately after the 4th of July weekend, grant-making skyrocketed, even while the Trump admin continued to meddle.
The gov't took a short break for the 4th of July 🇺🇸. When NIH staff were done celebrating our nation's birthday, they returned with a vengeance.
Immediately after the 4th of July weekend, grant-making skyrocketed, even while the Trump admin continued to meddle.
October 23, 2025 at 6:18 PM
But then something awesome happened.
The gov't took a short break for the 4th of July 🇺🇸. When NIH staff were done celebrating our nation's birthday, they returned with a vengeance.
Immediately after the 4th of July weekend, grant-making skyrocketed, even while the Trump admin continued to meddle.
The gov't took a short break for the 4th of July 🇺🇸. When NIH staff were done celebrating our nation's birthday, they returned with a vengeance.
Immediately after the 4th of July weekend, grant-making skyrocketed, even while the Trump admin continued to meddle.
A short story about our heroes inside NIH:
Between a Trump-imposed freeze on grant-making in Jan/Feb and new political hurdles in spring & early summer, NIH was in trouble.
By the end of June, NIH was 8,300 grants and $3.1 billion behind its FY24 pace. Morale was in the toilet. Things were bleak.
Between a Trump-imposed freeze on grant-making in Jan/Feb and new political hurdles in spring & early summer, NIH was in trouble.
By the end of June, NIH was 8,300 grants and $3.1 billion behind its FY24 pace. Morale was in the toilet. Things were bleak.
October 23, 2025 at 6:18 PM
A short story about our heroes inside NIH:
Between a Trump-imposed freeze on grant-making in Jan/Feb and new political hurdles in spring & early summer, NIH was in trouble.
By the end of June, NIH was 8,300 grants and $3.1 billion behind its FY24 pace. Morale was in the toilet. Things were bleak.
Between a Trump-imposed freeze on grant-making in Jan/Feb and new political hurdles in spring & early summer, NIH was in trouble.
By the end of June, NIH was 8,300 grants and $3.1 billion behind its FY24 pace. Morale was in the toilet. Things were bleak.
Josey, Delaney, et al. (2023). Air Pollution and Mortality at the Intersection of Race and Social Class. NEJM.
We show that stronger air pollution regulations benefit all Americans, and disproportionately harmed lower income and Black Americans benefit most.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
We show that stronger air pollution regulations benefit all Americans, and disproportionately harmed lower income and Black Americans benefit most.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
September 18, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Josey, Delaney, et al. (2023). Air Pollution and Mortality at the Intersection of Race and Social Class. NEJM.
We show that stronger air pollution regulations benefit all Americans, and disproportionately harmed lower income and Black Americans benefit most.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
We show that stronger air pollution regulations benefit all Americans, and disproportionately harmed lower income and Black Americans benefit most.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
September 3, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Full order is here: www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
SCOTUS stays (i.e., pauses) Judge Young's order insofar as it vacated (and thus reinstated) NIH grant terminations.
SCOTUS left in place the rest of Judge Young's order, which means NIH can't terminate more grants in the same way.
SCOTUS stays (i.e., pauses) Judge Young's order insofar as it vacated (and thus reinstated) NIH grant terminations.
SCOTUS left in place the rest of Judge Young's order, which means NIH can't terminate more grants in the same way.
August 21, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Full order is here: www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
SCOTUS stays (i.e., pauses) Judge Young's order insofar as it vacated (and thus reinstated) NIH grant terminations.
SCOTUS left in place the rest of Judge Young's order, which means NIH can't terminate more grants in the same way.
SCOTUS stays (i.e., pauses) Judge Young's order insofar as it vacated (and thus reinstated) NIH grant terminations.
SCOTUS left in place the rest of Judge Young's order, which means NIH can't terminate more grants in the same way.
🔥 from Kristen Weld and Andrew Manuel Crespo at Harvard:
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/14/o...
A key reminder that no matter what university Boards do, faculty, staff, and students will continue this fight.
Because the Globe is mostly paywalled, some choice quotes:
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/14/o...
A key reminder that no matter what university Boards do, faculty, staff, and students will continue this fight.
Because the Globe is mostly paywalled, some choice quotes:
August 15, 2025 at 2:43 PM
🔥 from Kristen Weld and Andrew Manuel Crespo at Harvard:
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/14/o...
A key reminder that no matter what university Boards do, faculty, staff, and students will continue this fight.
Because the Globe is mostly paywalled, some choice quotes:
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/14/o...
A key reminder that no matter what university Boards do, faculty, staff, and students will continue this fight.
Because the Globe is mostly paywalled, some choice quotes:
NIH will no longer list NIH grant opportunities through the NIH Guide.
Sure, grants.gov was duplicative. But grants.gov is shitty. And NIH's Guide was less shitty.
Not a huge deal. But just one more example of exec branch consolidation and NIH enshittification
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
Sure, grants.gov was duplicative. But grants.gov is shitty. And NIH's Guide was less shitty.
Not a huge deal. But just one more example of exec branch consolidation and NIH enshittification
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
August 15, 2025 at 1:50 PM
NIH will no longer list NIH grant opportunities through the NIH Guide.
Sure, grants.gov was duplicative. But grants.gov is shitty. And NIH's Guide was less shitty.
Not a huge deal. But just one more example of exec branch consolidation and NIH enshittification
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
Sure, grants.gov was duplicative. But grants.gov is shitty. And NIH's Guide was less shitty.
Not a huge deal. But just one more example of exec branch consolidation and NIH enshittification
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
This story is a really big problem.
TLDR: NIH will likely ban all science considering gender.
That means no health research on topics affecting ~5% (at a min) of the population.
~1% of people will get Parkinson's.
3% of women will get uterine cancer.
1-2% have red hair.
5% is a huge number.
TLDR: NIH will likely ban all science considering gender.
That means no health research on topics affecting ~5% (at a min) of the population.
~1% of people will get Parkinson's.
3% of women will get uterine cancer.
1-2% have red hair.
5% is a huge number.
August 13, 2025 at 2:46 PM
This story is a really big problem.
TLDR: NIH will likely ban all science considering gender.
That means no health research on topics affecting ~5% (at a min) of the population.
~1% of people will get Parkinson's.
3% of women will get uterine cancer.
1-2% have red hair.
5% is a huge number.
TLDR: NIH will likely ban all science considering gender.
That means no health research on topics affecting ~5% (at a min) of the population.
~1% of people will get Parkinson's.
3% of women will get uterine cancer.
1-2% have red hair.
5% is a huge number.
This is a key point--terminations have hit every corner of the country.
See, e.g., the map below from our homepage at grant-witness.us
Awful lotta orange and yellow in Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio. Even Missouri. UAB alone has lost over $18M in funds it was previously awarded.
See, e.g., the map below from our homepage at grant-witness.us
Awful lotta orange and yellow in Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio. Even Missouri. UAB alone has lost over $18M in funds it was previously awarded.
August 8, 2025 at 6:19 PM
This is a key point--terminations have hit every corner of the country.
See, e.g., the map below from our homepage at grant-witness.us
Awful lotta orange and yellow in Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio. Even Missouri. UAB alone has lost over $18M in funds it was previously awarded.
See, e.g., the map below from our homepage at grant-witness.us
Awful lotta orange and yellow in Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio. Even Missouri. UAB alone has lost over $18M in funds it was previously awarded.
If this sounds provocative, consider the language below, which appears to prohibit studies that recruit participants based on race.
So goodbye to studies on, say, the maternal mortality crisis among Black women or heart disease in Black men (to say nothing of studies on how racism affects health).
So goodbye to studies on, say, the maternal mortality crisis among Black women or heart disease in Black men (to say nothing of studies on how racism affects health).
August 8, 2025 at 6:04 PM
If this sounds provocative, consider the language below, which appears to prohibit studies that recruit participants based on race.
So goodbye to studies on, say, the maternal mortality crisis among Black women or heart disease in Black men (to say nothing of studies on how racism affects health).
So goodbye to studies on, say, the maternal mortality crisis among Black women or heart disease in Black men (to say nothing of studies on how racism affects health).
By most measures (suicide, depression, anxiety), U.S. mental health is deteriorating. Bad time to demolish our mental health infrastructure.
In a new preprint, @albeccia.bsky.social et al survey the damage from recent mental health grant cuts at NIH & SAMHSA.
Check it out: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
In a new preprint, @albeccia.bsky.social et al survey the damage from recent mental health grant cuts at NIH & SAMHSA.
Check it out: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
August 4, 2025 at 2:51 PM
By most measures (suicide, depression, anxiety), U.S. mental health is deteriorating. Bad time to demolish our mental health infrastructure.
In a new preprint, @albeccia.bsky.social et al survey the damage from recent mental health grant cuts at NIH & SAMHSA.
Check it out: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
In a new preprint, @albeccia.bsky.social et al survey the damage from recent mental health grant cuts at NIH & SAMHSA.
Check it out: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Of note:
This argument--that grant termination cases are actually contract claims against the gov't and thus must be heard in Fed Claims Court--is the basis for the gov't's appeal to SCOTUS for an emergency stay in the NIH grant termination cases.
This is from the government's argument to SCOTUS:
This argument--that grant termination cases are actually contract claims against the gov't and thus must be heard in Fed Claims Court--is the basis for the gov't's appeal to SCOTUS for an emergency stay in the NIH grant termination cases.
This is from the government's argument to SCOTUS:
August 1, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Of note:
This argument--that grant termination cases are actually contract claims against the gov't and thus must be heard in Fed Claims Court--is the basis for the gov't's appeal to SCOTUS for an emergency stay in the NIH grant termination cases.
This is from the government's argument to SCOTUS:
This argument--that grant termination cases are actually contract claims against the gov't and thus must be heard in Fed Claims Court--is the basis for the gov't's appeal to SCOTUS for an emergency stay in the NIH grant termination cases.
This is from the government's argument to SCOTUS:
NEW: some tough NSF litigation news--
Judge Cronan (Trump appointee) in NY v NSF (16 states challenging NSF grant terminations) just denied Plaintiffs' motion for prelim injunction.
Says Tucker Act likely requires claims to be filed in Fed Claims Court.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Judge Cronan (Trump appointee) in NY v NSF (16 states challenging NSF grant terminations) just denied Plaintiffs' motion for prelim injunction.
Says Tucker Act likely requires claims to be filed in Fed Claims Court.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
August 1, 2025 at 7:14 PM
NEW: some tough NSF litigation news--
Judge Cronan (Trump appointee) in NY v NSF (16 states challenging NSF grant terminations) just denied Plaintiffs' motion for prelim injunction.
Says Tucker Act likely requires claims to be filed in Fed Claims Court.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Judge Cronan (Trump appointee) in NY v NSF (16 states challenging NSF grant terminations) just denied Plaintiffs' motion for prelim injunction.
Says Tucker Act likely requires claims to be filed in Fed Claims Court.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
While I think it's unlikely that Congress passes these appropriations bills, they're important for what they signal.
For example, the Trump admin's attempt to cap indirect cost recovery rates remain a *huge* threat to scientific research. Here, the Senate is signaling no interest in such caps.
For example, the Trump admin's attempt to cap indirect cost recovery rates remain a *huge* threat to scientific research. Here, the Senate is signaling no interest in such caps.
July 31, 2025 at 8:56 PM
While I think it's unlikely that Congress passes these appropriations bills, they're important for what they signal.
For example, the Trump admin's attempt to cap indirect cost recovery rates remain a *huge* threat to scientific research. Here, the Senate is signaling no interest in such caps.
For example, the Trump admin's attempt to cap indirect cost recovery rates remain a *huge* threat to scientific research. Here, the Senate is signaling no interest in such caps.
New updates from @theimpactproject.bsky.social, this time pulling together and visualizing a massive number of cuts to our nation's public health infrastructure.
A superb tool for understanding the local impact of Federal policies:
theimpactproject.org/public-healt...
A superb tool for understanding the local impact of Federal policies:
theimpactproject.org/public-healt...
July 31, 2025 at 5:36 PM
New updates from @theimpactproject.bsky.social, this time pulling together and visualizing a massive number of cuts to our nation's public health infrastructure.
A superb tool for understanding the local impact of Federal policies:
theimpactproject.org/public-healt...
A superb tool for understanding the local impact of Federal policies:
theimpactproject.org/public-healt...
A quick update re NIH and NSF terminated grant tracking:
Grant Watch has a new name!
We're now called **Grant Witness**
You can find us at grant-witness.us
Please update your bookmarks and spread the word! 🙏
(And no, this wasn't our preference, but trademarks are a thing. 🤦♂️🤷♂️)
Grant Watch has a new name!
We're now called **Grant Witness**
You can find us at grant-witness.us
Please update your bookmarks and spread the word! 🙏
(And no, this wasn't our preference, but trademarks are a thing. 🤦♂️🤷♂️)
July 29, 2025 at 6:05 PM
A quick update re NIH and NSF terminated grant tracking:
Grant Watch has a new name!
We're now called **Grant Witness**
You can find us at grant-witness.us
Please update your bookmarks and spread the word! 🙏
(And no, this wasn't our preference, but trademarks are a thing. 🤦♂️🤷♂️)
Grant Watch has a new name!
We're now called **Grant Witness**
You can find us at grant-witness.us
Please update your bookmarks and spread the word! 🙏
(And no, this wasn't our preference, but trademarks are a thing. 🤦♂️🤷♂️)
And today from the School of Public Health.
Harvard always chickens out.
Harvard always chickens out.
July 11, 2025 at 2:23 PM
And today from the School of Public Health.
Harvard always chickens out.
Harvard always chickens out.
Judge Young's written decision in APHA v NIH and Mass v RFK just came out.
He writes--incorrectly in my view--that he can't order nationwide relief after CASA.
His order to reinstate some grants is a huge win, but this facet of it is disappointing. Many grants will remain illegally terminated.
He writes--incorrectly in my view--that he can't order nationwide relief after CASA.
His order to reinstate some grants is a huge win, but this facet of it is disappointing. Many grants will remain illegally terminated.
July 2, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Judge Young's written decision in APHA v NIH and Mass v RFK just came out.
He writes--incorrectly in my view--that he can't order nationwide relief after CASA.
His order to reinstate some grants is a huge win, but this facet of it is disappointing. Many grants will remain illegally terminated.
He writes--incorrectly in my view--that he can't order nationwide relief after CASA.
His order to reinstate some grants is a huge win, but this facet of it is disappointing. Many grants will remain illegally terminated.
The minute entry on the docket from Monday. This is all we have outside of his ruling from the bench. Nothing signed yet. F/u status conference at 2p EDT today.
June 18, 2025 at 5:33 PM
The minute entry on the docket from Monday. This is all we have outside of his ruling from the bench. Nothing signed yet. F/u status conference at 2p EDT today.
Until now, NIH Loan Repayment Program awards have seemed to escape scrutiny, possibly because they're small and relatively obscure, even if they make a huge positive impact on PIs.
But then I got this just now. I have 9 days to re-write my application. I'm out on holiday for 7 of them cool cool
But then I got this just now. I have 9 days to re-write my application. I'm out on holiday for 7 of them cool cool
June 18, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Until now, NIH Loan Repayment Program awards have seemed to escape scrutiny, possibly because they're small and relatively obscure, even if they make a huge positive impact on PIs.
But then I got this just now. I have 9 days to re-write my application. I'm out on holiday for 7 of them cool cool
But then I got this just now. I have 9 days to re-write my application. I'm out on holiday for 7 of them cool cool
Case in point:
bsky.app/profile/magg...
bsky.app/profile/magg...
June 18, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Case in point:
bsky.app/profile/magg...
bsky.app/profile/magg...
Once again from my brilliant and talented (and anonymous) colleague, some dramatic moments from today's hearing:
June 16, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Once again from my brilliant and talented (and anonymous) colleague, some dramatic moments from today's hearing:
NIH has terminated at least 565 previously awarded training grants, fellowships, and early career awards so far this year, and they've awarded 1,100 fewer new ones.
That's ~1,600 fewer grants supporting new scientists than we'd have had if just a few thousand more folks voted for Harris over Trump.
That's ~1,600 fewer grants supporting new scientists than we'd have had if just a few thousand more folks voted for Harris over Trump.
May 27, 2025 at 4:08 PM
NIH has terminated at least 565 previously awarded training grants, fellowships, and early career awards so far this year, and they've awarded 1,100 fewer new ones.
That's ~1,600 fewer grants supporting new scientists than we'd have had if just a few thousand more folks voted for Harris over Trump.
That's ~1,600 fewer grants supporting new scientists than we'd have had if just a few thousand more folks voted for Harris over Trump.