PHARA Act of 2025

PHARA Act of 2025 would shield ongoing National Institutes of Health (NIH) research from abrupt funding terminations and require greater protections in grant agreements. If enacted, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (through the NIH) to immediately release and fully implement existing grant and cooperative agreements, pay any outstanding reimbursements, and prohibit canceling agreements for which awardees are conducting active and ongoing research. At the same time, it mandates that all NIH grant and cooperative agreements entered into after enactment include a termination clause with specific conditions and procedural protections (e.g., 90 days’ written notice and a requirement to attempt to amend terms before termination). Additionally, the bill forbids NIH from terminating a post-enactment grant or cooperative agreement simply because it no longer aligns with program goals or agency priorities, and it requires a regulatory update to codify this prohibition. In short, the act aims to ensure continuity of funded research and create clearer, more protective termination procedures for NIH-supported projects.