A peer-reviewed analysis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that the National Institutes of Health’s abrupt termination of nearly 2,300 federal research grants disproportionately harmed women and early-career researchers. The study examined NIH cancellations between February 2025 and mid-August, totaling nearly $5.1 billion in grant value. Women represented 46.1% of affected researchers and lost a larger share of “unrealized scientific output,” while early-career investigators faced lost advancement opportunities with long-term career effects. The analysis linked the cancellations to an anti-DEI directive ordering federal agencies to weed out “equity-related” grants or contracts, followed by internal NIH guidance pulling funding for certain topics. The cancellations were especially destabilizing because nearly 52% of the affected funds had already been spent, leaving investigators with fewer resources to pivot midstream. Researchers called for sustained investment to protect the future scientific workforce, particularly assistant professors, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows.