Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that will require HHS to resume reviewing medical and public health research grants issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These grant reviews had been delayed under the Trump Administration, leading to concerns about impacts on scientific progress and public health.
The agreement follows a lawsuit filed in April by Attorney General Platkin and 16 other state attorneys general, which challenged what they described as unreasonable delays in NIH grant application reviews. The states argued that these delays hindered public research institutions from advancing important scientific and medical studies, especially during a period when New Jersey faced increased cases of influenza, COVID-19, and RSV.
“This news could not be more welcome, coming in the midst of a cold snap with significant levels of flu and other illnesses,” said Attorney General Platkin. “This is a victory for public health, for our residents, and for our research universities, which were harmed by these unnecessary and unlawful funding delays.”
NIH grant applications are typically reviewed through several rounds involving subject-matter experts and agency officials who assess proposals based on scientific merit and available funding. Earlier this year, scheduled meetings for review panels were canceled or postponed indefinitely by the administration at the time. Final decisions on already-approved applications were also withheld, leaving states awaiting billions in requested research funding.
Under the terms of the settlement, HHS has agreed to return to its usual process for considering NIH grant applications within an agreed timeline. This comes after an earlier phase of litigation in which directives targeting certain NIH projects were set aside as unlawful; an appeal hearing is scheduled for January 6, 2026. The current agreement restricts NIH from applying those contested directives when reviewing new grant applications.
Other states joining New Jersey in this settlement include Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaiʻi, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office serves as a statewide agency focused on legal enforcement and public safety across all counties in New Jersey. Its responsibilities include legal representation for the state government as well as oversight over law enforcement agencies. According to its official website, it works to safeguard residents’ lives and property through regulation and consumer protection initiatives.
