The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is rolling out rules that block new grants for any researcher or institution advancing programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The new rule also prohibits grant recipients from participating in boycotts against Israel, which includes cutting off or limiting commercial activity with Israeli companies.
The new “Civils Rights term” applies to all current terms and conditions for NIH grants, according to an April 21 notice.
The mandate overrules Section 4.1.2 “Civil Rights Protections” of the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which includes the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and limited English proficiency, according to the notice.
Under the new terms, researchers who accept an NIH grant agree they won’t use the funding for any programs that “advance or promote” DEI, accessibility or “discriminatory equity ideology” at the risk of violating the Trump administration’s anti-discrimination laws.
During the duration of the award, the grant recipient also can’t participate in any “discriminatory prohibited boycott” against Israel. Israel has been targeted by the global Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions movement for decades due to the country’s “entrenched system of racial discrimination against its own Arab-Palestinian citizens,” according to the movement's website.
If grant recipients do promote DEI or partake in a prohibited boycott, the NIH reserves the right to rescind the award and recover all funds, according to the release.
Posted by John3262005