In a significant budget decision, the Trump administration decided to cut funding for a controversial hormone therapy research project, leaving many wondering about the future of similar studies.
Key Takeaways
- The Trump administration’s NIH ended over $1 million in funding for research on hormone therapy’s effects on overdose risks in rats.
- The White Coat Waste Project played a key role in exposing ethical and financial concerns regarding the study.
- Lawmakers and officials endorsed the funding cut, calling the research expenditure imprudent.
- The study involved creating “transgender animals” for hormone therapy experiments.
- The Trump administration’s efforts were part of a broader initiative to eliminate mismanaged federal funds.
Research and Funding Details
The research project, sponsored by the National Institute of Health, aimed to understand how hormone therapies could affect overdose probabilities when using a party drug. In particular, the study involved experiments on rats that looked at how treatments like cross-sex hormones impacted the likelihood of overdose. This research intended to explore important biomedical questions, but concerns arose regarding the methodology used, prompting action.
The University of Pacific Stockton received over $1 million in grants to investigate these effects, supported by NIH’s Support of Competitive Research Program. The program aimed to enable research opportunities at institutions with a track record of training underrepresented groups in biomedical fields. However, the experimental approach, which included creating “transgender animals” through hormone therapy and surgery for testing purposes, drew considerable criticism for its ethical implications.
"The grants were uncovered by the White Coat Waste Project, an organization that is fighting to stop wasting tax money on unnecessary painful animal testing"
📰Bureaucrats Defy Trump’s Cuts: Nearly 40 Transgender Animal Experiments, $400M in Tax Dollars, Still Active
by… pic.twitter.com/ibtxhNYjAp
— White Coat Waste Project (@WhiteCoatWaste) March 15, 2025
Role of the White Coat Waste Project
The White Coat Waste Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to exposing the misuse of taxpayer dollars in animal research, was instrumental in bringing this controversial study to light. They obtained details of the grant via the Freedom of Information Act, allowing them to testify before the House Oversight Committee about the ethical and financial issues involved. Their influence was pivotal in the decision to terminate the funding for this research.
“This is a great victory for taxpayers and animals,” said Anthony Bellotti, president and founder of White Coat Waste Project.
Budget watchdogs and advocates like Rep. Nancy Mace and Sen. Joni Ernst were quick to criticize the project, describing it as pseudoscientific and a wasteful use of public funds. Such strong opposition contributed to the Trump administration’s decision to retract financial backing from this particular field of study, moving instead to prioritize resources on more ethically clear and fiscally responsible projects.
The Trump Admin just cut two more NIH grants worth $2.5 million that WCW exposed were paying to sterilize lab animals, inject them with hormones, and inflict wounds to mimic transgender humans undergoing gender reassignment surgeries and hormone therapieshttps://t.co/z09wXQx1VQ
— White Coat Waste Project (@WhiteCoatWaste) March 19, 2025
Broader Implications
The decision to end funding for this research is not isolated but part of a series of budgetary measures aimed at enhancing government efficiency. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), supported by President Trump, undertook initiatives to review and eliminate wasteful expenses across federal agencies. The hormone therapy research project was among several identified for cuts due to perceived mismanagement and the potential for better scientific oversight.
“Since last year, I’ve exposed how the Biden administration got caught in the woke mousetrap and wasted millions of tax dollars on transgender animal experiments,” said Sen. Ernst. “I’m grateful that President Trump and DOGE are eliminating this wacky pseudoscience. Together, we are ending the silly science and ensuring that all studies funded by tax dollars are squeaky clean.”
The move to cut funding is seen as a positive step by many who favor more conservative and efficient use of taxpayer dollars. As discussions about ethical lines in medical research continue, this decision signifies a push towards heightened scrutiny and fiscal responsibility while putting greater emphasis on studies that align with ethical standards.
