Trump Administration Dismantles AHRQ and Cuts $94 Million in Grants

The administration of Donald Trump is dismantling the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), resulting in the termination of between 104 and 150 grants valued at approximately $94 million. These cuts target critical patient safety initiatives, including research on lung cancer detection, high-risk pregnancy management, and antibiotic resistance.

Since the current administration took office, roughly three-quarters of AHRQ staff have departed and the agency's grant review office has been eliminated. AHRQ Director Roger Klein defended the actions as a redirection of resources toward health outcomes and patient safety, though reports indicate many of the cancelled grants already focused on those objectives. Klein has also suggested that artificial intelligence could replace the work of agency scientists.

The Government Accountability Office is investigating whether these actions constitute an unlawful impoundment of funds. Simultaneously, the North American Primary Care Research Group and the Society of General Internal Medicine have filed a lawsuit against Klein and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the frozen grant-making process.