Despite concerns about the future of research at the National Institutes of Health, current clinical trials can continue as scheduled, the agency’s acting director told staff scientists in an email Monday.
The clarification followed what staffers called “chaos” Wednesday when the Trump administration “paused” all communications from federal health agencies and suspended all government travel. The directive left NIH staff members with unanswered questions about their work and even whether they’d be able to continue caring for their patients.
The acting director, Dr. Matthew Memoli, a longtime infectious disease expert and flu vaccine researcher at the NIH, wrote in the email, a copy of which was obtained by NBC News, that he sought to clear up “confusion on the scope of the pause.”
“Clinical trials at NIH or NIH-funded institutions are ongoing,” he wrote. “Research participants can continue to participate in clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center and at NIH-funded facilities.”
He also clarified that investigators could continue to spend money on supplies and pay for research participants to travel to the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for treatment. The NIH conducts more than a thousand clinical trials every year.
A staff scientist who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly said the email was “good news” that seemed to “put things back closer to normal,” as least for clinical work.
Funding for any new projects, however, remains on hold. It’s unclear whether the NIH will continue approving money for research grants through its review groups, called study sections.
Without grants, scientists are unable to start any new research on conditions from asthma and pediatric cancer to Covid and Ebola. The NIH awards more than 60,000 grants every year, supporting at least 300,000 researchers.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford University professor who publicly criticized how the NIH handled the Covid pandemic, has been tapped by President Donald Trump to be the next NIH director. A Senate hearing on whether to confirm Bhattacharya has not been scheduled.
Meantime, acting director Memoli said he expects additional guidance to come from the Department of Health and Human Services this week. The overall pause in external communications is expected to last until Saturday.
