Global Health Watch: Further Funding Cuts and “America First” Policies for Research Expand Threats to Global Health

May 2: Issue 14

May 2, 2025

The threats and actions to decimate US biomedical research and global health continued this week as the world marked 100 days of the new administration. A proposed $9.3 billion rescission package would codify unprecedented cuts to NIH, USAID, and global health programs. At the same time, a draft NIH policy may halt funding for research outside the US threatening thousands of global collaborations.

As AVAC and partners push back—including at Wednesday’s Senate Appropriations Committee—this moment demands urgent advocacy to protect lives, science, and global stability. Read on for the latest, including new resources and opportunities for defending research, and watch and listen to a powerful new podcast, featuring AVAC’s Mitchell Warren on what it will take to rebuild prevention and global health leadership.

Rescission Package Looms

The US presidential administration is preparing to send Congress a rescission bill that seeks congressional approval to cancel $9.3 billion in already-appropriated funds, including massive cuts to the NIH, the State Department, and USAID. The bill would make recent cuts official—taking back congressionally approved government funding. (The process of “recission” in the US budget process is described in more detail here.) The impact would further dismantle critical programs, including support for HIV treatment and prevention, and vaccine delivery.  

Separately, leaked budget documents show plans by the administration to slash NIH’s FY2026 budget by more than 40%, consolidate or eliminate several institutes, and permanently eliminate grants tied to equity and transgender care. It was reported on Thursday that the President will release the full budget on Friday. At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing this week (see below), Committee Chair Susan Collins, a Republican, called the proposed cuts “very troubling” and warned they would undermine US global leadership in biomedical research.

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Research Matters: Senate Appropriations Committee and NIH Funding

At this week’s Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation, lawmakers and witnesses, including the Chief Executive Officer of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Executive Publisher of, Science, Sudip Parikh, pushed back against the threats of further cuts and warned of the devastation of NIH cuts on US scientific leadership, health equity, and economic competitiveness. Democratic Senator Patty Murray, Vice-Chair of the Committee, stressed that slashing funding undermines efforts to develop cures, vaccines, and breakthrough therapies. AVAC and the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership (FAPP) Research Working Group submitted a written statement to the Committee, urging Congress to reject future funding cuts to the NIH and recognize the importance and impact investments in biomedical research have had on lives and livelihoods.

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WATCH: 

NIH Poised to Halt Foreign Research Funding

Internal memos suggest a new policy is expected from the NIH, which would suspend funding for research outside the US. Some NIH staffers have indicated that they have been instructed to pause funds on both new and renewing grants that include research outside the US. The policy could apply to all international collaborations—not just those in “countries of concern”, like China and North Korea—and would impact a wide range of research. According to an exclusive story in Nature, it is unclear when the policy would take effect, and whether it would apply to all research funds to non-US institutions or only ‘subawards’. In 2023, about 15% of NIH grants included foreign partners.

IMPLICATIONS:  

Former NIH Director Francis Collins warns the policy could have “tragic consequences,” given the shutdown of USAID and deep NIH budget cuts. Epidemics and diseases like HIV, TB and malaria require global data and partnerships. This new policy would decimate the US’ ability to conduct or support clinical trials and data collection in the countries and communities who need support the most. This would be a stark retreat from decades of US leadership in global science—and could cost millions of lives.

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Protect NIH-Funded Research!

Join the FAPP Research Working Group Advocacy Effort. If you’re ready to take a stand against funding cuts and defend the integrity of evidence-based research, fill out this form. Your voice matters now more than ever.

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What We’re Reading & Watching

Resources

Resources for Researchers

AVAC, TAG and the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) co-created a new resource hub, Research Matters, to support researchers advocating for sustained NIH funding. These tools include an  Advocacy Toolkit  to help move our collective efforts forward. We will continue to update the hub with resources to support continued advocacy for biomedical research.

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