The University of Washington is scrambling to replace $264 million in terminated federal research grants after the Trump administration discontinued 117 awards through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in July.
Among the cuts is a $2.5 million grant supporting Dr. Sebastian Tong’s four-year project to improve addiction treatment in rural communities. Tong’s work, which had tested interventions at a dozen clinics, was halted midstream when the grant was terminated for not aligning with new federal priorities. UW Medicine’s federal funding dropped nearly 20% in the last fiscal year, leaving administrators to seek alternative sources while warning of long-term consequences.
The administration’s proposed changes—including political appointee reviews of grants and restrictions on international collaborations—face legal and congressional hurdles. A federal lawsuit filed on August 18 challenges a rule limiting international students to four-year visas, set to take effect September 15. UW officials argue the cuts undermine scientific excellence and threaten future discoveries.
Provost Tricia Serio called the changes a threat to the nation’s research leadership, while the administration defends them as a return to its statutory mission. Tong, a former AHRQ employee, said the cuts will directly harm rural patients who rely on the agency’s work.
