Scientists say NIH officials told them to scrub mRNA references on grants
Scientists say NIH officials told them to scrub mRNA references on grants
Two senior scientists say National Institutes of Health officials advised them to remove references to mRNA vaccines in grant applications, and they fear the Trump administration will abandon a promising field of medical research.
Summary
NIH officials instructed scientists to remove mRNA vaccine references from grant applications, raising concerns that the agency is abandoning mRNA research.
A senior NIH official confirmed that acting Director Matthew Memoli ordered all mRNA-related grants to be reported to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the White House. Scientists fear professional retaliation and funding cuts.
The Trump administration is reviewing mRNA research spending, and some GOP-led states are pushing to restrict mRNA vaccines.
Researchers warn these actions could stifle innovation and harm public health.
![[20250316] Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants - KFF Health News](https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/GettyImages-2167188983-resized.jpg?format=webp&thumbnail=196)
This is why scientists and doctors should handle research and medicine. These aren't political matters, its fact and life/death, even if the facts happen to be political they shouldn't be ignored or worse, misrepresented.
Off to search and replace “mRNA” with “messenger ribonucleic acid” in grant proposals.
Ignorance limiting science, this is sad..
Public health isn't currently politically popular. Politicians doing the right thing and fighting for better public health research put themselves at risk. Therefore, they're more than willing to abandon it without much immediate risk (and maybe even some gain).
Then, when public health decays and a lot of people start dying, the idea that maybe we should invest in public health programs will become popular and the pendulum will swing, politicians will support it again and they'll look like heroes.
Oh wait, public health, via shitty insurance-based framework, is already cooked and a lot of people are already dying? Dammit. Well, at least that woke-ass gene-ridden molecule is finally getting held accountable.
It's really ironic how the message-carrying RNA is the one being silenced. Like, not even molecules get to have freedom of speech anymore.