US Grant Cuts Sharply Limit Cancer, Alzheimer's, and Mental Health Research.

US Medical Research Funding Faces Drastic Reductions

According to Vox - Загальний: Medical research in the United States is reeling from severe funding cuts that have slashed the number of new grants across key areas, including Alzheimer's disease, mental health, and cancer. These policy changes, introduced by the Trump administration starting in July 2025, have already sent shockwaves through the scientific community. For an English-speaking audience, it’s important to note that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary federal agency funding biomedical research in the U.S., making these cuts a major blow to global scientific progress.

New grants for Alzheimer’s research plummeted from 369 in 2024 to just 177 in 2025, reflecting a sharp drop in investment for a field that urgently needs sustained support to develop new treatments. Mental health research suffered a 47% decline, while cancer research fell by 23%, signaling a broad retreat from funding critical medical priorities.

The NIH reduced its total number of new research grants from roughly 5,000 in 2024 to 3,900 in 2025, meaning about 1,000 grants were left unfunded due to the policy shift. Renowned scientist Jeremy Berg described the situation bluntly:

'This is the worst year I have ever seen, probably since the 1980s.' - Jeremy Berg

Hopes for a recovery are dim, as the Trump administration proposed cutting the NIH budget by 40% in 2026. Michael Lauer explained the impact:

'Instead of funding five grants, you now fund only one, which means four other grants that could have been funded are not getting any money.' - Michael Lauer

This suggests that the future of U.S. medical research could grow even bleaker unless funding is restored.

Urgent Attention Required

The funding crisis demands immediate action, as it directly threatens the development of new treatments and the nation’s overall health. Scientists and medical professionals are deeply alarmed, given that fewer grants not only slow progress on therapies but also jeopardize public health at a time when diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer, and mental disorders are on the rise. Restoring research support is critical to reversing this trend.