Funding for HIV Research at Providence’s Open Door Health (ODH) clinic was cancelled, but is now restored. According to ODH CEO Dr. Amy Nunn, it was thanks largely to the efforts of the ACLU, along with the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the American Public Health Association.

“A federal lawsuit was filed against the Trump administration after hundreds of NIH research grants focused on LGBTQ+ health were cancelled.” explained Nunn in a statement. However, “Judge [William] Young ruled in favor of the researchers and ordered the Trump administration to reinstate grants for scholars who signed onto the lawsuit, including myself and Dr. Philip Chan. Our grants were reinstated, and we are thrilled that science will be able to carry on as a result.” 

The administration plans to appeal. “While we are a bit apprehensive about the future of science,” Nunn continued, “we plan to keep marching forward with our scientific plans.” 

Reports the Boston Globe:

The study was just getting underway, with 20 patients enrolled, when the work was shut down by the NIH in March. While Nunn said her Providence clinic did not do any layoffs related to cancelled grant, the clinic in Mississippi — Express Personal Health — shut down, and the D.C. clinic laid off staff.

The four-month funding flip-flop could delay the results of the study by two years, Nunn said, depending on how quickly the researchers can rehire and train new staff. The researchers will also need to find a new clinic in Mississippi.

The patients — 100 each in Rhode Island, Mississippi, and D.C. — will then be followed for a year as they take Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP, to prevent them from contracting HIV.

Read the complete Boston Globe story here.

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