The Trump administration’s cancellation of hundreds of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants “represents racial discrimination”, and were null and void, ruled United States District Court Judge William Young on Monday.

This follows the cancellation of some 2,100 NIH research grants valued over than $12bn based on their links to “diversity, equity and inclusion” or “gender ideology”, since Donald Trump assumed office in January.

“I am hesitant to draw this conclusion, but I have an unflinching obligation to draw it – that this represents racial discrimination. And discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community,” said Young, who was appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan.

“I’ve sat on this bench now for 40 years. I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this.”

A range of organisations including the American Public Health Association (APHA),  American Civil Liberties Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), Center for Science in the Public Interest and Ibis Reproductive Health launch a court challenge to to grant cancellations in April.

Their central argument was that the NIH had not been motivated by science but “vague” new criteria in terminating the grants

“The ideologically motivated directives to terminate grants alleged to constitute DEI, ‘gender ideology,’ or other forbidden topics were, in fact, arbitrary and capricious, and have now been ruled unlawful,” said Peter G Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, one of the plaintiffs.

Ibis described the ruling as “a major victory for public health”, describing the NIH’s directives that led to the cancellation of grants to be “based on sweeping, politically driven criteria.”

Young has ordered the reinstatement of grants previously awarded to the organizations and 16 Democratic-led states that filed the lawsuit.

The federal government intends to appeal the ruling.

Image Credits: NIH.