Major universities and 22 states sued over administration’s proposal to slash National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants

A federal judge in Massachusetts blocked Donald Trump’s administration from cutting scientific research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after 22 mostly Democratic-leaning states sued.

The Trump administration sought to impose a 15% cap on “indirect costs” for grants – money that goes toward overhead, such as keeping the lights on in labs or maintaining advanced equipment. On Tuesday, major universities filed a second lawsuit, calling the administration’s actions “flagrantly unlawful” in a complaint.