Angriff auf Wissenschaftsfreiheit in den USA

In einer Eskalation der Auseinandersetzung zwischen der Trump-Regierung und der Columbia University blockiere NIH nun die Auszahlung sämtlicher Fördermittel an die Universität, wie ScienceInsider schreibt: „In an 8 April email seen by Science, NIH’s Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration Director Michelle Bulls told grant administrators that  HHS had initially ordered NIH to terminate the first “wave” of grants to Columbia and hold others while the school negotiated with the government. Now, she said, no NIH awards can be made to Columbia until the restriction is lifted. In 2024, Columbia received about $690 million in grant funding from NIH.“
Science meldet auch das weitergehende Einfrieren von über die NIH an Columbia University vergebenen Forschungsmitteln, nun im Gesamtumfang von $700 Mio., und schreibt: „Last month, White House began to pressure Columbia over its handling of anti-Israel protests and other allegations of antisemitism at the university, saying it was killing $400 million in federal grants to the school, including the NIH money. NIH terminated approximately 400 grants to Columbia on 12 March and ordered their researchers to stop work on them. Yesterday, NIH raised the stakes: At the behest of its parent agency, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), NIH will not only block new funding for the university, but also stop paying investigators working on all existing NIH projects.” (Aus einer Mitteilung der DFG vom 11.April 2025)