The Trump administration has stopped funding to at least 34 alcohol research projects awarded $31m, with 58% still to be paid out, according to statistics collated by Alcohol Review (table below). Around three-quarters involve studies of sexual and gender minorities, or SGMs.
The study losing the most is one on alcohol drinking and HIV risk among sexual minority youth underway at Nortwestern University, which is now short of 80% of its $2.4m award. The biggest award halted is one for a study looking for neurobiological susceptibility among young people to peer influence around alcohol and other drugs from the University of North Carolina. Over 60% of its $2.9m award is not yet paid.
The next biggest award suspended is a Columbia University study on the role of alcohol in domestic aggression among lesbian and bisexual women, on average bigger drinkers than heterosexual counterparts. It is missing half its grant of $2.8bn. A University of Wisconsin study of intimate partner violence among gay, lesbian and bisexual people has had the second half its $2.6m award halted.
Terminated studies of broader populations include: A $1.5m study of the use of telehealth in alcohol treatment, from Harvard Medical School; A $400,000 study from Columbia University which was going to look at the “behavioural cost of carbon”; And a $130,000 Columbia study stopped half way through examining the relationship between deforestation and alcohol and tobacco use in Indonesia. ■
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US alcohol studies ended
| Title | Research organisation | Award amount ($) | Not yet paid ($) | Not yet paid (%) |
| Neurobiological susceptibility to peer influence and drug use in adolescence Summary | University of North Carolina | 2,866,854 | 1,744,648 | 61 |
| Stress, hazardous drinking and intimate partner aggression in a diverse sample of women and their partners Summary | Columbia University | 2,750,690 | 1,376,828 | 50 |
| Alcohol, minority stress, and intimate partner violence: Temporal and prospective associations in sexual minority young adults Summary | University of Wisconsin | 2,717,142 | 1,436,009 | 53 |
| Intersectional Approaches to Population-Level Health Research: Role of HIV Risk and Mental Health in Alcohol Use Disparities among Diverse Sexual Minority Youth Summary | Northwestern University | 2,483,960 | 2,010,711 | 81 |
| Peer Victimization and Risky Alcohol Use among Sexual Minority Youth: Understanding Mechanisms and Contexts Summary | State University of New York | 2,351,607 | 1,700,022 | 72 |
| Long-term and Daily Associations among Intersectional Minority Stress, Structural Oppression, and Alcohol Use and Misuse among Sexual Minority Adolescents of Color Summary | University of Maryland | 2,165,921 | 1,525,226 | 70 |
| Telehealth in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders: Impact on Access, Disparities, and Quality of Care Summary | Harvard Medical School | 1,527,269 | 966,611 | 63 |
| A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Game-Based Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Use among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Summary | University of Pittsburg | 1,427,557 | 1,089,870 | 76 |
| Feasibility and Effectiveness of Gamified Digital Intervention to Prevent Alcohol and Mental Health Risks Summary | Loyola Marymount University | 1,150,713 | 641,474 | 56 |
| The Impact of Minority Stress on Alcohol-Related Sexual Assault among Sexual Minority College Students: An Intersectional, Mixed-Methodological Study Summary | University of Wisconsin | 1,131,845 | 382,967 | 34 |
| Sexual Fluidity and Longitudinal Changes in Alcohol Misuse and Associated Health Consequences Summary | University of Michigan | 1,063,923 | 727,073 | 68 |
| Experiences of Rural Sexual and Gender Minority Couples: Does Alcohol Use Explain the Link Between Minority Stress and Intimate Partner Discord and Violence Summary | University of Nabraska | 1,009,033 | 445,359 | 44 |
| An intersectional approach linking Minority Stressors Experienced by Transgender and Gender Diverse Adults to Alcohol and Drug Use and comorbid Mental and Physical Health Outcomes Summary | Georgia State University | 991,531 | 532,248 | 54 |
| A mixed-methods approach to understanding stress and hazardous drinking among same-sex female couples Summary | Northwestern University | 775,522 | 434,803 | 56 |
| Rising STARS (Scientific Training in Alcohol Research and other Substances) Program Summary | University of Southern California | 736,029 | 351,952 | 48 |
| Integrated Alcohol and Sexual Assault Prevention for Bisexual Women Summary | Rhode Island Hospital | 719,424 | 407,710 | 57 |
| The Role of Local Structural Stigma in Alcohol Related Inequities among SGM Young Adults Summary | Pacific Institute | 668,532 | 425,705 | 64 |
| An Online Family-based Program to Prevent Alcohol Use and Dating and Sexual Violence among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Summary | Columbia University | 653,281 | 210,021 | 32 |
| Alcohol-Involved Sexual Assault among Bisexual Women: Disentangling Mechanisms of Risk at Individual, Interpersonal, and Structural Levels Across the Lifespan Summary | Columbia University | 634,636 | 419,250 | 66 |
| Reconstruction of an SGM-specific sexual violence peer support program (SSS+) Summary | University of North Carolina | 458,269 | 83,130 | 18 |
| Health Effects of Intersectional Stigma among Sexual Minority Women Summary | University of California | 416,567 | 363,192 | 87 |
| The Behavioral Cost of Carbon Summary | Columbia University | 411,250 | n/a | n/a |
| Internal Sources of Minority Stress and Alcohol Consumption Summary | Texas Tech Univesity | 397,892 | 186,777 | 47 |
| Event-level Antecedents of Heavy Drinking Among Bisexual and Heterosexual Women with and without Histories of Sexual Assault Summary | Rhode Island Hospital | 348,978 | 70,966 | 20 |
| Stigma,Romantic Relationships, and Alcohol Use Among Transgender and Nonbinary Young Adults Summary | Boston University | 348,397 | 122,333 | 35 |
| Daily Impact of Sexual Minority Stress on Alcohol-Related Intimate Partner Violence among Bisexual+ Young Adults: A Couples’ Daily Diary Study Summary | Virginia Polytechnic | 218,293 | 17,733 | 8 |
| Sexual orientation, gender identity, and alcohol use: A multi-method analysis of developmental differences and key mechanisms Summary | University of Maryland | 215,194 | 175,787 | 82 |
| Spatiotemporal effects and associations between deforestation and alcohol and tobacco use in Indonesia Summary | Columbia University | 126,333 | 69,368 | 55 |
| Examining Individuals’ Exposure to Alcohol Environments Using Novel Responsive Buffers Summary | Columbia University | 96,668 | 78,514 | 81 |
| Examining differential effects of state equality-promoting policies on harmful alcohol use among sexual and gender minority adults in the U.S.: an econometrics approach for causal inference Summary | University of California | 80,632 | 56,660 | 70 |
| Romantic Relationships, Discrimination Stressors, and Alcohol Use among Sexual and Gender Minority Adults Summary | Montana State University | 80,316 | 9,536 | 12 |
| Examining Proximal Associations between Minority Stress, PTSD Symptoms, and Alcohol Use among Bi+ College Students with Trauma Histories Summary | Schools of Arts and Sciences | 48,974 | 34,425 | 70 |
| Post-Traumatic Stress and Alcohol Use as Mechanisms Explaining IPV Among Bisexual Women Who Disclose Sexual Violence to Partners: Examining Minority Stress as a Moderator Summary | University of Memphis | 40,769 | 31,143 | 76 |
| Enhancing dissemination and career development in sex and gender translational science in alcohol use Summary | Yale University | 12,501 | 12,500 | 100 |
| Total | 31,126,502 | 18,140,549 | 58 |
Source: Alcohol Review, NIH Grant Terminations in 2025
