Washington DC - A federal judge has blocked a move by President Donald Trump to steeply cut into the National Institute of Health's (NIS) funding model for medical research grants.

District judge Angel Kelley has put a temporary pause on Trump's cuts after 22 states sued to stop it going ahead, and numerous health scientists and academics sounded the warning bell.

The policy block is only temporary and will stay in place until court arguments can be heard and decisions made, beginning with a hearing which is scheduled for February 21.

The newly proposed NIS policy would set a 15% limit on the government's funding of the overhead costs of medical research. This is a significant reduction from current levels, which sometimes see billings of up to 60%.

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In a post on Friday, NIS touted the policy on X and claimed that "This change will save more than $4B a year effective immediately."

The pause follows a lawsuit lodged on February 10 accusing the Trump administration as well as the Department of Health and Human Services and NIH of "unlawfully cutting funds that support cutting-edge medical and public health research."

Signed by a coalition of more than 20 attorneys representing US states, the suit attempts to challenge the attempt to cut what it calls "indirect cost" reimbursements because they are used for vitally important research.

"These reimbursements cover expenses to facilitate biomedical research, like lab, faculty, infrastructure, and utility costs," the suit alleges.

"Without them, the lifesaving and life-changing medical research in which the United States – and Massachusetts, in particular – has long been a leader, could be compromised."