Trump’s order: NIH must stop dangerous gain-of-function research

Under President Trump’s order, the National Institute of Health will now stop all gain-of-function research. The order was issued to “improve the safety of biological research” and prevent risks to US citizens. A step forward.

After US President Donald Trump ordered the end of all gain-of-function research in the US, the National Institute of Health (NIH) announced it would stop all such projects. The NIH, which was criticised for such coronavirus research in collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), also suspended or stopped all funding.

“NIH requires all recipients of NIH funding to review their research areas to identify NIH funding and other support for projects that meet the definition of research that increases hazardous activities,” the June 18 release said. This includes US-led, overseas research supported by the NIH.

NIH Notice, June 18, 2025:

"Effective immediately, NIH will [t]erminate funding and other support for projects, including unfunded collaborations/projects, meeting the definition of dangerous gain-of-function research conducted by foreign entities in countries of concern" pic.twitter.com/phzloJf1GY

– Richard H. Ebright (@R_H_Ebright) June 18, 2025

In an executive order issued in May, the Trump administration explicitly warned of the risks of so-called operational recovery research on biological pathogens. According to the wording, such experiments could “significantly endanger the lives of US citizens”. The order also gives relevant federal authorities the authority to identify and stop federal funding for biological research projects that pose a potential threat to public health, safety or national security of the United States.

According to the White House Fact Sheet, the order was issued because “these measures will dramatically reduce the potential for laboratory-related incidents associated with restoration of operations research, such as the research on bat coronavirus conducted by the EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.” The aim is to prevent new pandemics.

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