After Lawsuit, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Resumes Issuing Grants
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On the eve of a court hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction in Society of General Internal Medicine v. Kennedy, the government began issuing grant awards for ongoing projects funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a component of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Before then, the Trump administration, under HHS Secretary Kennedy, had entirely stalled grant awards. Since September 10, the agency has approved 35 awards, for a total of more than $20 million in funding.
Through the litigation, the plaintiffs in the case — represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group — were also able to secure more time for the agency to spend the tens of millions of dollars in funding that was set to expire on September 30. On Friday, the court granted the plaintiffs’ unopposed motion for an extension of the fiscal year 2025 funding deadline from September 30 to December 31, 2025.
Stephanie Garlock, an attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group and lead counsel for the plaintiffs, stated:
“The halting of AHRQ’s grantmaking program, which resulted in the impoundment of funds appropriated by Congress to support vital research, was unlawful. Although there remains work to be done to ensure grant awards continue to be made, the fact that some grantmaking has resumed and that an extension to the deadline to spend existing funds has been approved are significant steps in the right direction.”
Eric Bass, CEO of SGIM, added:
“We greatly appreciate the progress that has been made toward restoring use of the funds Congress appropriated for AHRQ’s important mission, which as declared by AHRQ’s Director, includes funding the most meritorious research, addressing urgent health needs, and sustaining a robust health services research workforce.”
Dr. Alan Katz, incoming president of the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG), added:
“We are grateful to Public Citizen Litigation Group for undertaking this action and the immediate results achieved. This is a small victory for primary care research and the patients who will ultimately benefit from the evidence generated by these grants. We look forward to the ongoing re-institution of grantmaking to support the health of the population.”