The U.S. government has ended all federal funding for gain-of-function research worldwide [1].
This policy shift removes financial support for research designed to enhance the potency or transmissibility of pathogens. The move follows a prolonged global debate regarding laboratory safety and the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic [2], [4].
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the funds were terminated [1]. The decision was officially announced June 19, 2025 [3].
Reports on the specific mechanism of the termination vary. Some accounts state that the National Institutes of Health ended the funding [3], while other reports attribute the decision to President Trump [4]. Both sources agree that the funding for this specific type of research has ceased.
Government officials said the research is dangerous [2]. The decision is linked to concerns that such experiments could lead to accidental leaks, or the creation of enhanced viruses that pose a risk to public health [4].
The policy applies to all federal funding, including grants provided to international laboratories. By cutting these ties, the U.S. seeks to mitigate the risks associated with enhancing pathogens—a practice that has become a focal point of scientific and political scrutiny since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic [2], [4].
“The United States is ending federal funding for gain‑of‑function research worldwide”
This policy represents a significant shift in U.S. biosafety strategy by prioritizing risk mitigation over the potential benefits of pathogen enhancement. By eliminating federal support for gain-of-function research globally, the U.S. is effectively leveraging its financial influence to discourage a specific scientific methodology that it now deems too hazardous for public safety.
