Federal support for minority biomedical researchers just lost its legal basis

The US Health and Human Services Department is ending a program that specifically supported biomedical research by minority groups. This means federal grants will no longer be set aside for these researchers, citing recent court rulings and executive orders.

This change removes a dedicated funding stream for scientists from underrepresented backgrounds. For decades, these programs aimed to increase diversity in biomedical fields by providing specific grants. Now, all researchers will compete for federal funding under the same general criteria.