Federal keyword lists that killed billions in research funding revealed in court filings

The federal keyword lists that canceled billions in research funding

Court documents from a lawsuit filed by University of California researchers reveal that federal agencies, including the NIH, NSF, Department of Defense, and NEH, used keyword searches to terminate billions of dollars in research grants. The keywords targeted topics like diversity, equity, and inclusion, climate change, and other politically sensitive areas. The NSF's list, derived from a Ted Cruz report, included terms like 'injustice' and 'minority,' while the NIH flagged phrases such as 'structural racism' and 'health equity.' The agencies admitted to using these lists to cancel grants en masse without individual review, leading to allegations of First Amendment violations.