NIH: NIH Cut Halts Herpesvirus Research and Graduate Training

A research lab at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center lost an NIH diversity supplement that had been supporting a graduate student’s stipend, tuition, and research costs when the funding was abruptly terminated in early 2025 following changes to NIH diversity supplement policies. The supplement was tied to an active grant supporting fundamental research on how herpesviruses establish lifelong latent infections, and how co-infections, including from parasitic worms, can trigger these viruses to reactivate, a process linked to conditions such as shingles and certain cancers. Because most people worldwide carry a herpesvirus, this research has broad relevance for infectious diseases, cancer, and immune system science.

Although the main grant remains funded through 2028, the supplement, originally expected to continue through 2027, was cut off after just one year, creating an immediate funding gap. Universities are requested to continue supporting enrolled graduate students, so the lab was forced to absorb the unexpected costs to keep the student on. This resulted in the layoff of another staff member and reduced the lab’s ability to carry out its research.

These supplements are critical not only for boosting a lab's research capacity, but also for opening doors to graduate education and scientific careers for talented students from a wide range of backgrounds. Eligibility includes individuals from disadvantaged financial backgrounds, as well as those from groups unrepresented in biomedical research—such as individuals from rural communities, first-generation college students, and certain racial and ethnic groups. The loss of this unique form of support has slowed research progress, reduced lab productivity, and created new uncertainty for early-career scientists considering careers in academic research.