Trump administration defunds autism research in DEI and 'gender ideology' purge

During the first 4 months of 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has reduced funding for autism-related research by an estimated $31 million to $116 million from $147 million in the same period in 2024, according to a Reuters analysis of NIH data.

The spending is 26% lower than the prior 4-year average for that period, the analysis found.

In some cases, the NIH has canceled projects because they involved diverse populations, studied differences in gender or took place at research universities currently under scrutiny by the Trump Administration.

For others, funding for autism projects has simply halted or money for new projects has not been approved.