Scientific Societies File Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Support of NIH Grantees

Tuesday, August 5, 2025
On August 1, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) joined American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), and the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) in jointly filing an expanded amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in American Public Health Association v. NIH. As some of the nation’s largest and most respected scientific societies, the amici submit this brief to emphasize the urgent need to safeguard federal research investments, protect early-career scientists and uphold the integrity of the nation’s science ecosystem.  

The four leading life science organizations originally filed an amicus brief in the case on May 2, urging the court to find recent executive actions that led to the termination of NIH grants supporting early-career scientists—such as the Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program—unlawful and to compel NIH to restore funding swiftly. MOSAIC grants support scientists from a wide range of backgrounds in transitioning to research careers. Today’s updated filing focuses specifically on the immediate and irreparable harm caused by the grant terminations and asks the Court to deny the government’s request for a stay pending approval.  

The updated brief includes new evidence and perspectives drawn from peer-reviewed articles and commentary published in recent months, which underscore the devastating consequences these grant cancellations have already had across the scientific community. Together, ASBMB, ASCB, ASM and FASEB represent more than 150,000 biological and biomedical researchers whose work drives innovation, improves public health and fuels the U.S. economy. Their members have long supported and participated in programs like MOSAIC, which are essential for building a sustainable pipeline of scientific talent. The brief emphasizes that allowing the stay to proceed would only deepen the harm—disrupting careers, halting promising research and jeopardizing U.S. leadership in science and technology.  

“These grants enable the discoveries that fuel innovation, power economies and improve human health. Their termination would undermine decades of scientific progress and diminish our nation’s standing as a global leader in research,” said Mona Miller, CEO of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.   

“These abrupt grant terminations are already causing serious, lasting damage to scientific progress and careers,” said Stefano Bertuzzi, CEO of the American Society for Microbiology. “Each day that passes without resolution magnifies the harm—undermining research, disrupting innovation and threatening the stability of the U.S. science and technology enterprise.”  

“We are encouraged by the district court’s ruling in favor of the plaintiffs,” stated Rebecca Alvania, CEO of the American Society for Cell Biology. “However, the administration’s request for a stay pending appeal would allow these terminations to continue throughout what could be a lengthy appeal process. This is not only profoundly unfair to the individual scientists who have already lost their funding and would remain without support, but it also inflicts ongoing harm on the research ecosystem.”  

“The termination of research grants created a cascade of disruptions that will be difficult to reverse,” said Frank Krause, CEO of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. “Our continued support of the plaintiffs reinforces our organizational commitments to supporting the next generation of researchers.”