Nobel Laureates Denounce Trump Officials For Revoking Coronavirus Research Grant

A many as 77 US Nobel laureates in science have written an open letter to the Trump administration stating that they are 'gravely concerned' with the abrupt cancellation of a federal grant to EcoHealth Alliance, which was researching coronaviruses in China. The laureates said that the move, announced on April 24, "sets a dangerous precedent by interfering in the conduct of science and jeopardizes public trust in the process of awarding federal funds for research". READ | Donald Trump's press secretary accidentally reveals bank details of US President EcoHealth Alliance is a non-profit organisation that specializes in hunting viruses worldwide. EcoHealth scientists have been trapping bats in China in order to check their blood and saliva for novel coronaviruses that could spark the next pandemic in humans. Last year the National Institutes of Health renewed funding for that project granting EcoHealth Alliance $4 million to cover the next five years of research. READ | Trump asks governors to reopen houses of worship, calls it 'essential' amid pandemic However, after the COVID-19 pandemic took the United States by storm, several state officials began to raise suspicions that a local Chinese lab that EcoHealth Alliance had partnered with the Wuhan Institute of Virology had accidentally released the virus causing COVID-19. The Institute is located in the Chinese city that reported the first case of COVID-19 infection. However many virologists familiar with lab accidents disagreed with the accident theory behind the coronavirus outbreak. READ | Biden apologizes for black Trump backers comments A few days later, President Trump assured action on the issue by immediately stopping the grant. An email was sent to EcoHealth informing that grant was terminated. In their letter sent on Friday, the 77 Nobel laureates dismiss the action as "preposterous." The Nobel laureates from the various fields note that EcoHealth's grant application had received 'a very high priority score' during peer review. Scientists added that it is precisely the time when they need to support this kind of research in order to control the virus. The letter addressed to the director of the National Institutes of Health, Francis Collins and secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar concluded with a call for a "thorough review of the actions that led to the decision to terminate the grant and appropriate steps to rectify the injustices that may have been committed in revoking it." READ | COVID: Jammu doctor with child's picture in T-shirt says 'have not been home for 2 months'

Advertisement

Nobel Laureates Denounce Trump Officials For Revoking Coronavirus Research Grant

77 American laureates in Science have written an open letter to the Trump administration & said they are 'gravely concerned' with the cancellation of the grant.

Advertisement