NIH Ends Funding for Research Using Fetal Tissue, Bhattacharya Says
NIH announced Jan. 22, 2026 it will immediately bar use of human fetal tissue from elective abortions in NIH-funded research.
Just the NewsHHS won't use taxpayer dollars for research using aborted fetal tissue
The GuardianNIH ends funding of research that uses human fetal tissue from abortions
Washington ExaminerTrump ends funding for research using aborted baby tissue ahead of March for Life
ABC NewsTrump administration halts use of human fetal tissue in NIH-funded research
Overview
The National Institutes of Health announced on Jan. 22, 2026 that it will immediately bar NIH-funded research from using human fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions, Jay Bhattacharya said in a statement.
The policy targets methods long used to study HIV, cancer and vaccine development, and NIH records show 77 NIH-funded projects involved fetal tissue in fiscal 2024.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a Department of Health and Human Services statement that the change reflects 'gold-standard science,' while University of California San Diego emeritus professor Lawrence Goldstein called the decision 'a political decision, not a scientific one,' according to statements and interviews.
NIH data show 77 projects involved fetal tissue in fiscal 2024, and agency documents variously list about $53 million to almost $60 million in funding for those projects, a discrepancy reflected in public records.
The agency said it will seek public comment on reducing reliance on human embryonic stem cells and pursuing alternative technologies, while researchers warned some experiments cannot be replicated without fetal tissue, officials and scientists said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this story neutrally, giving balanced context on policy and science. They note anti‑abortion advocacy, scientists’ concerns about inadequate alternatives, NIH’s historical funding and recent project counts, and technical clarifications about cell lines and prior Trump/Biden actions — using factual detail rather than emotive language.