Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, alongside a group of 16 attorneys general, has taken legal action against the Trump Administration. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, is a response to alleged unlawful disruptions to grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to the lawsuit, the Administration is unreasonably delaying the review of NIH grant applications and has terminated numerous grants already in place.
Attorney General Neronha stated, "This President’s unconstitutional attacks on medical research and higher education will have very real and immediate impacts for Rhode Islanders and people across this country." He emphasized the critical importance of these funds for vulnerable groups in Rhode Island, especially those at high risk for HIV, and for students at the University of Rhode Island (URI).
The lawsuit claims that the Administration's actions include cancelling meetings that are part of the grant review process and withholding final decisions on applications. Attorney General Neronha pointed out, "This Administration is unlawfully obstructing life-saving medical research grants with utter disregard for the health and safety of the American people, and we’re going to do everything we can to stop it."
NIH is accused of terminating grants connected to topics reportedly disfavored by the Administration, such as "DEI," "transgender issues," and "vaccine hesitancy," citing that these projects "no longer effectuates agency priorities." This has allegedly led to significant financial losses, such as the $3.7 million in terminated grants at URI, which impacted research in HIV public health and the ESTEEMED Scholars Program for students from underrepresented backgrounds.
The coalition argues that these actions violate NIH's statutory obligations and that the Administration lacks authority to withhold congressionally approved funds. They are urging the Court to demand prompt review and decisions on delayed applications and to prevent the termination of already-awarded grants.
Previously, on February 10, AG Neronha joined another legal challenge against the Administration concerning cuts to "indirect cost" reimbursements for NIH grants. A preliminary injunction was issued on March 5, blocking these cuts as the case proceeds.
The coalition behind the current lawsuit is spearheaded by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, with support from attorneys general across 13 other states.