Attorney General Kris Mayes, along with 21 other attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The legal action challenges what they describe as an unlawful reduction in funding for medical and public health research at universities and research institutions nationwide.
The coalition is opposing the administration's decision to cut "indirect cost" reimbursements across all research institutions. These reimbursements cover essential expenses like laboratory operations, faculty support, infrastructure, and utilities. Without them, critical medical research in the United States could be jeopardized.
Indirect cost reimbursements are tailored to each institution’s needs through negotiations with the federal government. The Trump Administration's move disregards these agreements, potentially endangering public health advancements. The lawsuit aims to halt this action.
"Arizona students and universities will miss out on millions of dollars in critical funding and research support if the Trump administration is not blocked from defunding NIH and its grants to our state," said Attorney General Mayes. "This money is owed to Arizonans by law."
On February 7, the NIH announced a sudden reduction of indirect cost rates to a uniform 15%, effective February 10. This change leaves institutions with no time to adjust their budgets, risking suspension of clinical trials, disruption of research programs, layoffs, and lab closures.
The coalition argues that this violates the Administrative Procedure Act and contradicts a Congressional directive from President Trump's first term that prevents such changes to indirect cost reimbursements. They seek a court order to stop this implementation.
The NIH is a major source of federal funding for U.S. medical research. Its grants have contributed to numerous scientific breakthroughs including cancer treatments and DNA sequencing.
In Arizona alone, significant reductions in NIH funding would impact several institutions: University of Arizona ($170 million), ASU Tempe Campus ($65 million), NAU ($14 million), Banner Hospital ($26 million), Mayo Clinic ($17 million), and St. Joseph’s Hospital ($10 million). Students at ASU recently protested these potential cuts.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey leads this lawsuit alongside counterparts from Illinois and Michigan. Attorneys general from various states including California, New York, Washington, and Wisconsin are also part of the coalition.
The case was filed in U.S. District Court for Massachusetts today.