Trump’s NIH restrictions affect climate scientists, too

By Chelsea Harvey | 01/27/2025 06:32 AM EST

New rules include a hold on the review panels the National Institutes of Health uses to evaluate and approve research grants.

President Donald Trump speaks about the economy during an event Saturday at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

President Donald Trump speaks about the economy during an event Saturday at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Travel bans, hiring freezes and communication pauses at the National Institutes of Health have alarmed scientists nationwide and raised concerns about disruptions to climate research initiatives.

The new restrictions, implemented last week by the Trump administration, include a hold on the review panels NIH uses to evaluate and approve research grants. Scientists reported last week that their panels had been canceled indefinitely with little notice.

“Devastating is the correct word,” one researcher lamented on Bluesky.

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The new rules also prevent many scientists from participating in public presentations or sharing their research at conferences.

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