Stand Up for Science presses Congress to block NIH fund transfer to War Department

Stand Up for Science is urging Congress to stop an interagency agreement that could move money from the National Institutes of Health to the Department of War over the next 10 years. The group says the plan threatens civilian health research and could divert as much as $2 billion.

Why it matters: - Stand Up for Science says the proposed transfer would pull Congressionally mandated health research dollars away from NIH projects that could support life-saving science. - The group argues the agreement could weaken civilian research funding and redirect money to unspecified Department of War priorities. - The petition frames the fight as a test of whether Congress will protect NIH funding from being repurposed through an interagency deal.

What happened: - Stand Up for Science posted a petition calling on Congress to pass emergency legislation that would end what it calls an extralegal transfer of NIH funding to the Department of War. - The petition was published after last week’s announcement of an interagency agreement involving NIH’s infectious disease research institute. - The agreement would allow an unspecified amount of NIH funding to support Department of War initiatives over the next 10 years. - The New York Times reported the deal could divert up to $2 billion to the Department of War. - NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya says the research projects will produce discoveries that benefit both Americans’ health and the military.

The details: - Stand Up for Science says the petition asks Congress to “immediately submit and pass emergency legislation terminating this extralegal transfer of NIH funding to Hegseth’s Department of War.” - Dr. Colette Delawalla, founder and CEO of Stand Up for Science, said the move would siphon “millions, if not billions” from civilian research and asked whether officials are asking the public to “just trust them” on future scientific and medical gains. - Delawalla also said the agreement could be another route to “defund and destroy the NIH altogether.” - Stand Up for Science is inviting the public to sign the petition in support of preserving health research funding at NIH. - The organization says it is a grassroots, Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit formed in February 2025 in response to actions affecting federal science agencies and funding. - Stand Up for Science says it mobilized more than 50,000 people at 170-plus events on its first National Day of Action on March 7. - The group says federal scientists at NIH, EPA, NASA and FEMA have used its platform to publish open letters of concern.

Between the lines: - The dispute is not just about one funding transfer. It reflects a larger fight over who controls federal science dollars and whether health research can be redirected for defense-related uses. - The vagueness of the agreement is central to the criticism. Stand Up for Science says the lack of specificity makes it hard to judge how NIH money would be used. - Bhattacharya’s argument suggests the administration sees overlap between health and military research. Critics see that overlap as a potential cover for moving civilian science money into other priorities.

What's next: - Stand Up for Science is pressing lawmakers to act quickly and block the transfer before more NIH funds move under the agreement. - The public petition remains open for signatures. - Delawalla said she is available for comment.