🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 25 (from laksa196)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa025.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.aip.org/fyi/2020/under-political-pressure-nih-blacklists-wuhan-virology-lab\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.aip.org/fyi/2020/under-political-pressure-nih-blacklists-wuhan-virology-lab\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/2020\/under-political-pressure-nih-blacklists-wuhan-virology-lab","crawl_time":1775750854,"first_indexed_time":1588280945,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"org,aip!www,\/fyi\/2020\/under-political-pressure-nih-blacklists-wuhan-virology-lab s443","src_root_hash":"5213256542897038425","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Under Political Pressure, NIH Blacklists Wuhan Virology Lab - AIP.ORG","meta_descriptions":["Amid political efforts to implicate the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the COVID-19 pandemic, NIH has terminated a grant for coronavirus research that funded collaborative work with the institute. Separately, scientific societies have condemned attempts to ascribe blame for the pandemic, warning of the rising threat of racist attacks on people of Asian background."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Amid political efforts to implicate the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the COVID-19 pandemic, NIH has terminated a grant for coronavirus research that funded collaborative work with the institute. Separately, scientific societies have condemned attempts to ascribe blame for the pandemic, warning of the rising threat of racist attacks on people of Asian background.\nAt a media briefing on April 17, President Trump said he would terminate a grant that supports collaborative research activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The National Institutes of Health carried out the termination a week later.\n(Image credit – The White House)\nOn April 24, the National Institutes of Health\nterminated a grant\nfor a research project on bat-borne coronaviruses after it was criticized by President Trump and a number of Republican lawmakers. While the\ngrant\nwas held by EcoHealth Alliance, a global environmental health research organization based in New York, it attracted negative attention because part of it supported collaborative activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China.\nWIV houses a lab equipped to study the most dangerous class of pathogens, and a number of pundits and politicians are now suggesting it accidentally released SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Though\nthinly supported\n, the idea is fueling efforts to focus blame for the COVID-19 pandemic on the Chinese government. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), in particular, has cited suspicions about WIV and the actions of Chinese leaders during the pandemic as justifying a hardline stance, which\nhe said\nthis week could include cutting off student visas in technical fields.\nMeanwhile, many scientific societies have become concerned that rising hostility to China is motivating attacks on people with Asian ethnic backgrounds. On April 20, a group of 50 societies, including AIP,\nendorsed\ncongressional\nresolutions\nintroduced by Democratic lawmakers that condemn anti-Asian sentiment related to the pandemic.\nPolitical pressure preceded NIH grant termination\nWhile Cotton began\nspeculating\nabout WIV’s connection to the pandemic as early as February, interest in the matter has grown following an April 14\narticle\nby Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin, who reported that a visiting U.S. delegation warned about safety issues at the institute in 2018.\nCotton has\ncited\nthat report, alongside recent Chinese government actions, as “circumstantial” but convincing evidence the pandemic originated at WIV or a neighboring lab run by the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention. For its part, WIV has\ndenied\nit is the source of SARS-CoV-2. Disease researchers further\nmaintain\nit is unlikely the virus was uncovered prior to its spread and state it is far likelier animals passed it to humans in an uncontrolled environment.\nMeanwhile, in mid-April, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) began\ndrawing attention\nto EcoHealth Alliance’s grant after it was\nreported on\nin the British tabloid press. Asked about the grant at a\nmedia briefing\non April 17, Trump replied,\nI’ve been hearing about that. And we’ve instructed that if any grants are going to that area — we’re looking at it, literally, about an hour ago, and also early in the morning. We will end that grant very quickly.\nIn a letter\nobtained\nby Breitbart News, on April 19 NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research Mike Lauer directed EcoHealth Alliance to stop all payments to WIV. Lauer stated the agency had suspended WIV’s eligibility to participate in federal programs pending a review of “allegations” about the release of SARS-CoV-2 from its lab. Lauer indicated at that time the action would not affect the remainder of the grant.\nAccording to Politico, which\nfirst reported\non the grant termination, Lauer asked EcoHealth Alliance for more information on April 20, writing, “We need to know all sites in China that have been in any way linked to this award.” He added that “it would be helpful for us to know about all China-based participants in this work,” dating back to the project’s start in 2014.\nOn April 21, a group of 54 Republican lawmakers led by Gaetz and Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ)\ncalled\nfor assurance from congressional leaders that no pandemic response funding would go to WIV, citing the EcoHealth Alliance grant. “We’re sure you agree that taxpayers’ money should not be sent to a dangerous Chinese state-run bio-agent laboratory that lacks any meaningful oversight from U.S. authorities,” they wrote.\nNIH terminated EcoHealth Alliance’s grant three days later. According to Politico, Lauer stated in a letter, “At this time, NIH does not believe that the current project outcomes align with the program goals and agency priorities.”\nNIH awarded about $3.4 million in total to EcoHealth Alliance via the grant in fiscal years 2014 through 2019, and the agency has asked it not to spend funds awarded for fiscal year 2020. It is unclear what specifically prompted NIH to reverse its assurance about the grant’s continuation but the agency appears not to have alleged any wrongdoing.\nVirus lab accusations fuel hostility to China\nWarning: This section quotes vulgar and racist language.\nCotton’s accusation that the Chinese government concealed WIV’s role in the pandemic is part of a broader campaign he is waging to attribute the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. to duplicity by China’s leaders. In an April 26 interview, he\ncharged\nthat, once the Chinese government failed to contain SARS-CoV-2, it deliberately allowed the virus to escape its borders and refused to cooperate with efforts to stop it so as to ensure that other countries also suffered economic damage.\nDescribing various actions he thinks the U.S. should take against China, Cotton pointed to longstanding grievances about intellectual property theft to suggest that Congress consider cutting off visas for Chinese students seeking to study science and engineering, especially at the post-graduate level. “If Chinese students want to come here and study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that’s what they need to learn from America. They don’t need to learn quantum computing and artificial intelligence from America,” he remarked.\nCotton has previously advanced narrower proposals to restrict visas for Chinese nationals. Last May, he introduced the\nPLA Visa Security Act\n, which would generally bar individuals funded or sponsored by institutions that the White House states are affiliated with the Chinese military from obtaining student and visitor-exchange visas. It would also require U.S. consular offices to conduct additional security reviews of Chinese citizens applying for visas to attend graduate school in certain subjects.\nThe Trump administration is likewise seeking to focus blame on China for the pandemic. Trump himself sought\nfor a time\nto label SARS-CoV-2 the “Chinese virus,” and this week he\nsuggested\nthe U.S. may seek financial reparations from China.\nToday, the Washington Post\nreported\nthat senior administration officials and some members of Congress are exploring a range of retaliatory measures against China and are pushing U.S. intelligence agencies to explore the Wuhan lab allegations. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a\nstatement\ntoday indicating it would continue to investigate the pandemic’s origins, including the possibility it originated at WIV.\nMeanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIH and other public health agencies, has appointed Michael Caputo as its new assistant secretary for public affairs, a political operative who recently made racist comments about China.\nCNN\nreported\nlast week that Caputo had erased over 1,000 tweets dating from before he joined the department on April 14, including a number with racist content. On March 12, for instance, he dismissed a conspiracy theory that SARS-CoV-2 originated in a U.S. lab by sarcastically stating, “Sure, millions of Chinese suck the blood out of rabid bats as an appetizer and eat the ass out of anteaters but some foreigner snuck in a bottle of the good stuff.”\nAsked for comment by CNN, Caputo expressed indifference to its reporting, saying, “Fair game, dude. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me at all.”\nSocieties warn of rising anti-Asian prejudice\nWithout mentioning specific events, the April 20 multi-society letter endorsing the anti-discrimination resolutions declares that the signatories reject “efforts to ascribe fault for the pandemic.” Warning against the\nthreat of growing racism\n, it states,\nOur societies have been concerned by news reports that individuals of Asian ancestry are increasingly subject to stigma, physical attack, or suspicion due to the potential origins of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. These actions are wrong and unacceptable for their racial overtones, their impact on societies and individuals, and run counter to the core values of the scientific community and the members we represent.\nThe resolutions themselves condemn “all manifestations of expressions of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, anti-Asian sentiment, scapegoating, and ethnic or religious intolerance.” They also call on federal law enforcement officials to track and take action against hate crimes and threats directed against the Asian American community.\nIntroducing the resolutions in\nlate March\nand\nearly April\n, Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) called out language used by Trump and others, including terms such as “Chinese virus,” “Wuhan virus,” and\n“Kung-flu,”\nas “irresponsible, reckless, and downright disgusting.” To date, neither the House nor Senate has considered the resolutions during the short periods the chambers have been in session.\nEven before the pandemic, there was\nsubstantial concern\nwithin the scientific community about discrimination toward Chinese and Chinese American individuals arising from federal efforts to combat\nexploitation\nof U.S. research by the Chinese government. In particular, investigations by the FBI and agencies such as NIH to uncover surreptitious connections to China have led to a wave of firings and arrests.\nWhile the agencies insist they are targeting specific illegal or unethical behaviors, their activities have nonetheless spurred anxieties among researchers with ties to China that they will be subjected to spurious accusations and unfair treatment. The new political environment of the pandemic may compound such fears.","attrs_markdown":"- [Events](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/aip\/events)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/newsletters)\n- [Giving](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/foundation)\n\nBack\n\n### Sections\nmore from AIP\n\n- [Physics Today](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/)\n- [Society of Physics Students](https:\/\/students.aip.org\/)\n- [AIP Foundation](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/foundation)\n- [AIP Publishing](https:\/\/publishing.aip.org\/)\n\n[![AIP\\_Logo](https:\/\/aip.brightspotcdn.com\/fe\/cb\/baa748ae4d868d49228857e2b2af\/logo-aip-dark-blue.svg)](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/)\n\n- [Federation](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/federation)\n- [News & Analysis](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/news-and-analysis)\n  \n  - [All](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/news-and-analysis)\n  - [Science](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/scilights)\n  - [Statistics](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/statistics)\n  - Policy\n    \n    - [FYI Home](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi)\n    - [Articles](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/articles)\n    - 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Separately, scientific societies have condemned attempts to ascribe blame for the pandemic, warning of the rising threat of racist attacks on people of Asian background.\n\n[![Will Thomas](https:\/\/aip.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/7040dff\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/800x800+0+0\/resize\/100x100!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-aip.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1c%2Feb%2Fd9b410924a81a3bc73dfb0613840%2Fmicrosoftteams-image-1.png)](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/will-thomas)\n\n[William Thomas](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/will-thomas)\n\nSpencer R. Weart Director of Research in History, Policy, and Culture\n\n![At a media briefing on April 17, President Trump said he would terminate a grant that supports collaborative research activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.](https:\/\/aip.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/73df9e1\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/740x450+0+0\/resize\/740x450!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-aip.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbb%2F7b%2F4fb1183a8705fe782c9992921cd8%2Ftrump-2020-04-17-briefing-nih-grant.jpg)\n\nAt a media briefing on April 17, President Trump said he would terminate a grant that supports collaborative research activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The National Institutes of Health carried out the termination a week later.\n\n(Image credit – The White House)\n\nOn April 24, the National Institutes of Health [terminated a grant](https:\/\/www.ecohealthalliance.org\/2020\/04\/regarding-nih-termination-of-coronavirus-research-funding) for a research project on bat-borne coronaviruses after it was criticized by President Trump and a number of Republican lawmakers. While the [grant](https:\/\/projectreporter.nih.gov\/project_info_history.cfm?aid=9819304&icde=49508764) was held by EcoHealth Alliance, a global environmental health research organization based in New York, it attracted negative attention because part of it supported collaborative activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China.\n\nWIV houses a lab equipped to study the most dangerous class of pathogens, and a number of pundits and politicians are now suggesting it accidentally released SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Though [thinly supported](https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2020\/4\/23\/21226484\/wuhan-lab-coronavirus-china), the idea is fueling efforts to focus blame for the COVID-19 pandemic on the Chinese government. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), in particular, has cited suspicions about WIV and the actions of Chinese leaders during the pandemic as justifying a hardline stance, which [he said](https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/tom-cotton-suggests-chinese-students-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-study-sciences-in-the-us) this week could include cutting off student visas in technical fields.\n\nMeanwhile, many scientific societies have become concerned that rising hostility to China is motivating attacks on people with Asian ethnic backgrounds. On April 20, a group of 50 societies, including AIP, [endorsed](https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2020-04\/Multisociety-Letter-Stigmatization-of-Asians_Final.pdf) congressional [resolutions](https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/116th-congress\/house-resolution\/908\/text?r=2&s=2) introduced by Democratic lawmakers that condemn anti-Asian sentiment related to the pandemic.\n\n## Political pressure preceded NIH grant termination\nWhile Cotton began [speculating](https:\/\/youtu.be\/ytGIkcCh7T8?t=221) about WIV’s connection to the pandemic as early as February, interest in the matter has grown following an April 14 [article](https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2020\/04\/14\/state-department-cables-warned-safety-issues-wuhan-lab-studying-bat-coronaviruses\/) by Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin, who reported that a visiting U.S. delegation warned about safety issues at the institute in 2018.\n\nCotton has [cited](https:\/\/www.cotton.senate.gov\/?p=press_release&id=1354) that report, alongside recent Chinese government actions, as “circumstantial” but convincing evidence the pandemic originated at WIV or a neighboring lab run by the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention. For its part, WIV has [denied](https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/chinas-bats-expert-says-her-wuhan-lab-wasnt-source-of-new-coronavirus-11587463204) it is the source of SARS-CoV-2. Disease researchers further [maintain](https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/goatsandsoda\/2020\/04\/23\/841729646\/virus-researchers-cast-doubt-on-theory-of-coronavirus-lab-accident) it is unlikely the virus was uncovered prior to its spread and state it is far likelier animals passed it to humans in an uncontrolled environment.\n\nMeanwhile, in mid-April, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) began [drawing attention](https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/gaetz-end-nih-grant-wuhan-virology-lab) to EcoHealth Alliance’s grant after it was [reported on](https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-8211257\/Wuhan-lab-performing-experiments-bats-coronavirus-caves.html) in the British tabloid press. Asked about the grant at a [media briefing](https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-april-17-2020\/) on April 17, Trump replied,\n\n> I’ve been hearing about that. And we’ve instructed that if any grants are going to that area — we’re looking at it, literally, about an hour ago, and also early in the morning. We will end that grant very quickly.\n\nIn a letter [obtained](https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2020\/04\/27\/exclusive-federal-health-officials-investigating-wuhan-lab-suspected-of-leaking-coronavirus-taxpayer-grants-to-lab\/) by Breitbart News, on April 19 NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research Mike Lauer directed EcoHealth Alliance to stop all payments to WIV. Lauer stated the agency had suspended WIV’s eligibility to participate in federal programs pending a review of “allegations” about the release of SARS-CoV-2 from its lab. Lauer indicated at that time the action would not affect the remainder of the grant.\n\nAccording to Politico, which [first reported](https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/04\/27\/trump-cuts-research-bat-human-virus-china-213076) on the grant termination, Lauer asked EcoHealth Alliance for more information on April 20, writing, “We need to know all sites in China that have been in any way linked to this award.” He added that “it would be helpful for us to know about all China-based participants in this work,” dating back to the project’s start in 2014.\n\nOn April 21, a group of 54 Republican lawmakers led by Gaetz and Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) [called](https:\/\/www.grassley.senate.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/McSally-Gaetz%20Letter%20to%20Senate%20%26%20House%20Leadership%20re%20WIV%20funding%20-%20FINAL.pdf) for assurance from congressional leaders that no pandemic response funding would go to WIV, citing the EcoHealth Alliance grant. “We’re sure you agree that taxpayers’ money should not be sent to a dangerous Chinese state-run bio-agent laboratory that lacks any meaningful oversight from U.S. authorities,” they wrote.\n\nNIH terminated EcoHealth Alliance’s grant three days later. According to Politico, Lauer stated in a letter, “At this time, NIH does not believe that the current project outcomes align with the program goals and agency priorities.”\n\nNIH awarded about \\$3.4 million in total to EcoHealth Alliance via the grant in fiscal years 2014 through 2019, and the agency has asked it not to spend funds awarded for fiscal year 2020. It is unclear what specifically prompted NIH to reverse its assurance about the grant’s continuation but the agency appears not to have alleged any wrongdoing.\n\n## Virus lab accusations fuel hostility to China\n*Warning: This section quotes vulgar and racist language.*\n\nCotton’s accusation that the Chinese government concealed WIV’s role in the pandemic is part of a broader campaign he is waging to attribute the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. to duplicity by China’s leaders. In an April 26 interview, he [charged](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wktH8sdPHl0) that, once the Chinese government failed to contain SARS-CoV-2, it deliberately allowed the virus to escape its borders and refused to cooperate with efforts to stop it so as to ensure that other countries also suffered economic damage.\n\nDescribing various actions he thinks the U.S. should take against China, Cotton pointed to longstanding grievances about intellectual property theft to suggest that Congress consider cutting off visas for Chinese students seeking to study science and engineering, especially at the post-graduate level. “If Chinese students want to come here and study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that’s what they need to learn from America. They don’t need to learn quantum computing and artificial intelligence from America,” he remarked.\n\nCotton has previously advanced narrower proposals to restrict visas for Chinese nationals. Last May, he introduced the [PLA Visa Security Act](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/federal-science-bill-tracker\/116th\/pla-visa-security-act), which would generally bar individuals funded or sponsored by institutions that the White House states are affiliated with the Chinese military from obtaining student and visitor-exchange visas. It would also require U.S. consular offices to conduct additional security reviews of Chinese citizens applying for visas to attend graduate school in certain subjects.\n\nThe Trump administration is likewise seeking to focus blame on China for the pandemic. Trump himself sought [for a time](https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2020-03-25\/trump-says-he-ll-stop-using-chinese-virus-easing-blame-game) to label SARS-CoV-2 the “Chinese virus,” and this week he [suggested](https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-33\/) the U.S. may seek financial reparations from China.\n\nToday, the Washington Post [reported](https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2020\/04\/30\/trump-china-coronavirus-retaliation\/) that senior administration officials and some members of Congress are exploring a range of retaliatory measures against China and are pushing U.S. intelligence agencies to explore the Wuhan lab allegations. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a [statement](https:\/\/twitter.com\/odnigov\/status\/1255868108356681728) today indicating it would continue to investigate the pandemic’s origins, including the possibility it originated at WIV.\n\nMeanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIH and other public health agencies, has appointed Michael Caputo as its new assistant secretary for public affairs, a political operative who recently made racist comments about China.\n\nCNN [reported](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/04\/23\/politics\/michael-caputo-tweets\/index.html) last week that Caputo had erased over 1,000 tweets dating from before he joined the department on April 14, including a number with racist content. On March 12, for instance, he dismissed a conspiracy theory that SARS-CoV-2 originated in a U.S. lab by sarcastically stating, “Sure, millions of Chinese suck the blood out of rabid bats as an appetizer and eat the ass out of anteaters but some foreigner snuck in a bottle of the good stuff.”\n\nAsked for comment by CNN, Caputo expressed indifference to its reporting, saying, “Fair game, dude. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me at all.”\n\n## Societies warn of rising anti-Asian prejudice\nWithout mentioning specific events, the April 20 multi-society letter endorsing the anti-discrimination resolutions declares that the signatories reject “efforts to ascribe fault for the pandemic.” Warning against the [threat of growing racism](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/asian-america\/over-30-americans-have-witnessed-covid-19-bias-against-asians-n1193901), it states,\n\n> Our societies have been concerned by news reports that individuals of Asian ancestry are increasingly subject to stigma, physical attack, or suspicion due to the potential origins of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. These actions are wrong and unacceptable for their racial overtones, their impact on societies and individuals, and run counter to the core values of the scientific community and the members we represent.\n\nThe resolutions themselves condemn “all manifestations of expressions of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, anti-Asian sentiment, scapegoating, and ethnic or religious intolerance.” They also call on federal law enforcement officials to track and take action against hate crimes and threats directed against the Asian American community.\n\nIntroducing the resolutions in [late March](https:\/\/meng.house.gov\/media-center\/press-releases\/meng-introduces-resolution-to-denounce-anti-asian-sentiment-caused-by-0) and [early April](https:\/\/www.harris.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/harris-duckworth-hirono-to-introduce-resolution-condemning-anti-asian-racism-prompted-by-covid-19), Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) called out language used by Trump and others, including terms such as “Chinese virus,” “Wuhan virus,” and [“Kung-flu,”](https:\/\/twitter.com\/weijia\/status\/1239923246801334283) as “irresponsible, reckless, and downright disgusting.” To date, neither the House nor Senate has considered the resolutions during the short periods the chambers have been in session.\n\nEven before the pandemic, there was [substantial concern](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/2019\/scientists-seek-clarity-amid-us-security-push#c100) within the scientific community about discrimination toward Chinese and Chinese American individuals arising from federal efforts to combat [exploitation](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/2018\/us-confronting-threat-chinese-exploitation-intellectual-property) of U.S. research by the Chinese government. In particular, investigations by the FBI and agencies such as NIH to uncover surreptitious connections to China have led to a wave of firings and arrests.\n\nWhile the agencies insist they are targeting specific illegal or unethical behaviors, their activities have nonetheless spurred anxieties among researchers with ties to China that they will be subjected to spurious accusations and unfair treatment. The new political environment of the pandemic may compound such fears.\n\nRelated Topics\n\n- [International](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/international)\n\n[Latest from Physics Today](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/)\n\n[PHYSICS TODAY](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/)\n\n\/\n\nArticle\n\n[Lessons from Stuart Freedman: Six scientists share their stories](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/opinion\/lessons-from-stuart-freedman-six-scientists-share-their-stories)\n\nFreedman performed crucial work as an experimentalist. But his mentorship was an equally important contribution.\n\nApril 08, 2026 10:27 AM\n\n[PHYSICS TODAY](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/)\n\n\/\n\nArticle\n\n[Republicans and Democrats disagree on direction of US science](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/news\/republicans-and-democrats-disagree-on-direction-of-us-science)\n\nApril 07, 2026 09:54 AM\n\n[PHYSICS TODAY](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/)\n\n\/\n\nArticle\n\n[Physical properties of a perfect pasta sauce](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/quick-study\/physical-properties-of-a-perfect-pasta-sauce)\n\nUnderstanding how ingredients interact can help cooks consistently achieve delicious results.\n\nApril 06, 2026 04:16 PM\n\n[PHYSICS TODAY](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/)\n\n\/\n\nArticle\n\n[Quantum drops are spotted in ultracold gas of molecules](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/news\/quantum-drops-are-spotted-in-ultracold-gas-of-molecules)\n\nStrong and tunable long-range dipolar interactions could help probe the behavior of supersolids and other quantum phases of matter.\n\nApril 06, 2026 11:18 AM\n\n[PHYSICS TODAY](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/)\n\n\/\n\nArticle\n\n[The paradoxical phenomenon of quantum scarring](https:\/\/physicstoday.aip.org\/features\/the-paradoxical-phenomenon-of-quantum-scarring)\n\nInside certain quantum systems, where randomness was thought to lurk, researchers—after a 40-year journey—have found order and unique wave patterns that stubbornly survive.\n\nApril 02, 2026 12:26 PM\n\nMore from FYI\n\n[![Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology David Sacks speaks at an event in 2025.](https:\/\/aip.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/63f47c5\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3000x1493+0+0\/resize\/840x418!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-aip.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F37%2F70%2F6a66059142429ba299ac33eba83a%2Fsacks-pcast-2025.png)](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/white-house-announces-pcast-members)\n\n[FYI](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi)\n\n\/\n\nArticle\n\n[White House Announces PCAST Members](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/white-house-announces-pcast-members)\n\nMarch 26, 2026 04:27 PM\n\n[![Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) at a Senate Small Business Committee hearing in 2025.](https:\/\/aip.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/7db5453\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2048x1019+0+0\/resize\/840x418!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-aip.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1c%2F40%2Fac612fab4108b82a4ed79042197d%2Fmarkey-and-ernst.png)](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/congress-passes-small-business-research-reauthorization)\n\n[FYI](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi)\n\n\/\n\nArticle\n\n[Congress Passes Small Business Research Reauthorization](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/congress-passes-small-business-research-reauthorization)\n\nMarch 24, 2026 01:55 PM\n\n[FYI](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi)\n\n\/\n\nArticle\n\n[DOE Reorganizes Office of Science](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/doe-reorganizes-office-of-science)\n\nThe Department of Energy’s Office of Science is being ‘realigned’ following a broader restructuring of the agency.\n\nMarch 20, 2026 11:55 AM\n\n[FYI](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi)\n\n\/\n\nArticle\n\n[NIH Director Promises to Speed Up Grantmaking](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/nih-director-promises-to-speed-up-grantmaking)\n\nJay Bhattacharya told House appropriators the agency would accelerate grant approvals and spend all of the agency’s fiscal year 2026 funds.\n\nMarch 18, 2026 03:34 PM\n\n[FYI](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi)\n\n\/\n\nArticle\n\n[NRC Mulls Changes to Radiation Safety Requirements](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/nrc-mulls-changes-to-radiation-safety-requirements)\n\nThe Department of Energy has already cut mentions of the ALARA principle amid a larger push by the White House to change radiation regulations.\n\nMarch 17, 2026 03:54 PM\n\n[FYI](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi)\n\n\/\n\nArticle\n\n[Scientists Gather for Second Annual ‘Stand Up for Science’ Rally](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/scientists-gather-for-second-annual-stand-up-for-science-rally)\n\nCalls to return control of science to scientists and oust HHS Secretary RJK Jr. dominated the day.\n\nMarch 12, 2026 12:52 PM\n\n## Related Organizations\n[The White House](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/white-house)\n\n[National Institutes of Health](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/national-institutes-of-health)\n\n[![aip logo.svg](https:\/\/aip.brightspotcdn.com\/a0\/9e\/2605494245e583fed4cb35668052\/aip-logo.svg)](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/)\n\nAmerican Institute of Physics advances, promotes and serves the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity.\n\nAs a 501(c)(3) non-profit, AIP is a federation that advances the success of our Member Societies and an institute that engages in research and analysis to empower positive change in the physical sciences. The mission of AIP (American Institute of Physics) is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity.\n\n[Support Our Mission](https:\/\/foundation.aip.org\/)\n\n- [instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/spsnational\/)\n- [facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PhysicsToday\/)\n- [linkedin](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/american-institute-of-physics)\n\n### Stay in touch\nAIP at American Center for Physics - MD\n\n1 Physics Ellipse Drive  \nCollege Park, MD 20740\n\n[AIP at American Center for Physics - DC](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/aip\/contact-us)\n\n555 12th Street NW  \nSuite 250  \nWashington, DC 20004\n\n[Contact Us](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/aip\/contact-us)\n\n[AIP Publishing](https:\/\/publishing.aip.org\/about\/leadership\/)\n\n1305 Walt Whitman Road  \nSuite 110  \nMelville, NY 11747  \n\\+1 516.576.2200\n\n[Contact Us](https:\/\/publishing.aip.org\/about\/leadership\/)\n\n### Member societies\n- [ACA: The Structural Science Society](http:\/\/amercrystalassn.org\/)\n- [Acoustical Society of America](http:\/\/acousticalsociety.org\/)\n- [American Association of Physicists in Medicine](http:\/\/aapm.org\/)\n- [American Association of Physics Teachers](http:\/\/aapt.org\/)\n- [American Astronomical Society](http:\/\/aas.org\/)\n- [American Meteorological Society](https:\/\/www.ametsoc.org\/index.cfm\/ams\/)\n- [American Physical Society](https:\/\/www.aps.org\/)\n- [AVS: Science & Technology of Materials, Interfaces and Processing](http:\/\/avs.org\/)\n- [Optica](http:\/\/osa.org\/)\n- [The Society of Rheology](http:\/\/www.rheology.org\/SoR\/)\n\n- [instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/spsnational\/)\n- [facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PhysicsToday\/)\n- [linkedin](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/american-institute-of-physics)\n\n[![aip logo.svg](https:\/\/aip.brightspotcdn.com\/a0\/9e\/2605494245e583fed4cb35668052\/aip-logo.svg)](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/)\n\nAmerican Institute of Physics advances, promotes and serves the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity.\n\nAs a 501(c)(3) non-profit, AIP is a federation that advances the success of our Member Societies and an institute that engages in research and analysis to empower positive change in the physical sciences. The mission of AIP (American Institute of Physics) is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity.\n\n[Support Our Mission](https:\/\/foundation.aip.org\/)\n\n### Member societies\n- [ACA: The Structural Science Society](http:\/\/amercrystalassn.org\/)\n- [Acoustical Society of America](http:\/\/acousticalsociety.org\/)\n- [American Association of Physicists in Medicine](http:\/\/aapm.org\/)\n- [American Association of Physics Teachers](http:\/\/aapt.org\/)\n- [American Astronomical Society](http:\/\/aas.org\/)\n- [American Meteorological Society](https:\/\/www.ametsoc.org\/index.cfm\/ams\/)\n- [American Physical Society](https:\/\/www.aps.org\/)\n- [AVS: Science & Technology of Materials, Interfaces and Processing](http:\/\/avs.org\/)\n- [Optica](http:\/\/osa.org\/)\n- [The Society of Rheology](http:\/\/www.rheology.org\/SoR\/)\n\n### Stay in touch\nAIP at American Center for Physics - MD\n\n1 Physics Ellipse Drive  \nCollege Park, MD 20740\n\n[AIP at American Center for Physics - DC](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/aip\/contact-us)\n\n555 12th Street NW  \nSuite 250  \nWashington, DC 20004\n\n[Contact Us](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/aip\/contact-us)\n\n[AIP Publishing](https:\/\/publishing.aip.org\/about\/leadership\/)\n\n1305 Walt Whitman Road  \nSuite 110  \nMelville, NY 11747  \n\\+1 516.576.2200\n\n[Contact Us](https:\/\/publishing.aip.org\/about\/leadership\/)\n\n- [instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/spsnational\/)\n- [facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PhysicsToday\/)\n- [linkedin](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/american-institute-of-physics)\n\n- [Working at AIP](https:\/\/workforcenow.adp.com\/mascsr\/default\/mdf\/recruitment\/recruitment.html?cid=cde167d2-561e-44db-8dab-df2fc7648b26&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_US)\n- [Policies & Procedures](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/aip\/policies-reports-financials)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/aip\/privacy-policy)\n\n© 2026 American Institute of Physics","attrs_readable_markdown":"Amid political efforts to implicate the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the COVID-19 pandemic, NIH has terminated a grant for coronavirus research that funded collaborative work with the institute. Separately, scientific societies have condemned attempts to ascribe blame for the pandemic, warning of the rising threat of racist attacks on people of Asian background.\n\n![At a media briefing on April 17, President Trump said he would terminate a grant that supports collaborative research activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.](https:\/\/aip.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/73df9e1\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/740x450+0+0\/resize\/740x450!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-aip.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbb%2F7b%2F4fb1183a8705fe782c9992921cd8%2Ftrump-2020-04-17-briefing-nih-grant.jpg)\n\nAt a media briefing on April 17, President Trump said he would terminate a grant that supports collaborative research activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The National Institutes of Health carried out the termination a week later.\n\n(Image credit – The White House)\n\nOn April 24, the National Institutes of Health [terminated a grant](https:\/\/www.ecohealthalliance.org\/2020\/04\/regarding-nih-termination-of-coronavirus-research-funding) for a research project on bat-borne coronaviruses after it was criticized by President Trump and a number of Republican lawmakers. While the [grant](https:\/\/projectreporter.nih.gov\/project_info_history.cfm?aid=9819304&icde=49508764) was held by EcoHealth Alliance, a global environmental health research organization based in New York, it attracted negative attention because part of it supported collaborative activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China.\n\nWIV houses a lab equipped to study the most dangerous class of pathogens, and a number of pundits and politicians are now suggesting it accidentally released SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Though [thinly supported](https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2020\/4\/23\/21226484\/wuhan-lab-coronavirus-china), the idea is fueling efforts to focus blame for the COVID-19 pandemic on the Chinese government. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), in particular, has cited suspicions about WIV and the actions of Chinese leaders during the pandemic as justifying a hardline stance, which [he said](https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/tom-cotton-suggests-chinese-students-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-study-sciences-in-the-us) this week could include cutting off student visas in technical fields.\n\nMeanwhile, many scientific societies have become concerned that rising hostility to China is motivating attacks on people with Asian ethnic backgrounds. On April 20, a group of 50 societies, including AIP, [endorsed](https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2020-04\/Multisociety-Letter-Stigmatization-of-Asians_Final.pdf) congressional [resolutions](https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/116th-congress\/house-resolution\/908\/text?r=2&s=2) introduced by Democratic lawmakers that condemn anti-Asian sentiment related to the pandemic.\n\n## Political pressure preceded NIH grant termination\nWhile Cotton began [speculating](https:\/\/youtu.be\/ytGIkcCh7T8?t=221) about WIV’s connection to the pandemic as early as February, interest in the matter has grown following an April 14 [article](https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2020\/04\/14\/state-department-cables-warned-safety-issues-wuhan-lab-studying-bat-coronaviruses\/) by Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin, who reported that a visiting U.S. delegation warned about safety issues at the institute in 2018.\n\nCotton has [cited](https:\/\/www.cotton.senate.gov\/?p=press_release&id=1354) that report, alongside recent Chinese government actions, as “circumstantial” but convincing evidence the pandemic originated at WIV or a neighboring lab run by the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention. For its part, WIV has [denied](https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/chinas-bats-expert-says-her-wuhan-lab-wasnt-source-of-new-coronavirus-11587463204) it is the source of SARS-CoV-2. Disease researchers further [maintain](https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/goatsandsoda\/2020\/04\/23\/841729646\/virus-researchers-cast-doubt-on-theory-of-coronavirus-lab-accident) it is unlikely the virus was uncovered prior to its spread and state it is far likelier animals passed it to humans in an uncontrolled environment.\n\nMeanwhile, in mid-April, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) began [drawing attention](https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/gaetz-end-nih-grant-wuhan-virology-lab) to EcoHealth Alliance’s grant after it was [reported on](https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-8211257\/Wuhan-lab-performing-experiments-bats-coronavirus-caves.html) in the British tabloid press. Asked about the grant at a [media briefing](https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-april-17-2020\/) on April 17, Trump replied,\n\n> I’ve been hearing about that. And we’ve instructed that if any grants are going to that area — we’re looking at it, literally, about an hour ago, and also early in the morning. We will end that grant very quickly.\n\nIn a letter [obtained](https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2020\/04\/27\/exclusive-federal-health-officials-investigating-wuhan-lab-suspected-of-leaking-coronavirus-taxpayer-grants-to-lab\/) by Breitbart News, on April 19 NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research Mike Lauer directed EcoHealth Alliance to stop all payments to WIV. Lauer stated the agency had suspended WIV’s eligibility to participate in federal programs pending a review of “allegations” about the release of SARS-CoV-2 from its lab. Lauer indicated at that time the action would not affect the remainder of the grant.\n\nAccording to Politico, which [first reported](https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/04\/27\/trump-cuts-research-bat-human-virus-china-213076) on the grant termination, Lauer asked EcoHealth Alliance for more information on April 20, writing, “We need to know all sites in China that have been in any way linked to this award.” He added that “it would be helpful for us to know about all China-based participants in this work,” dating back to the project’s start in 2014.\n\nOn April 21, a group of 54 Republican lawmakers led by Gaetz and Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) [called](https:\/\/www.grassley.senate.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/McSally-Gaetz%20Letter%20to%20Senate%20%26%20House%20Leadership%20re%20WIV%20funding%20-%20FINAL.pdf) for assurance from congressional leaders that no pandemic response funding would go to WIV, citing the EcoHealth Alliance grant. “We’re sure you agree that taxpayers’ money should not be sent to a dangerous Chinese state-run bio-agent laboratory that lacks any meaningful oversight from U.S. authorities,” they wrote.\n\nNIH terminated EcoHealth Alliance’s grant three days later. According to Politico, Lauer stated in a letter, “At this time, NIH does not believe that the current project outcomes align with the program goals and agency priorities.”\n\nNIH awarded about \\$3.4 million in total to EcoHealth Alliance via the grant in fiscal years 2014 through 2019, and the agency has asked it not to spend funds awarded for fiscal year 2020. It is unclear what specifically prompted NIH to reverse its assurance about the grant’s continuation but the agency appears not to have alleged any wrongdoing.\n\n## Virus lab accusations fuel hostility to China\n*Warning: This section quotes vulgar and racist language.*\n\nCotton’s accusation that the Chinese government concealed WIV’s role in the pandemic is part of a broader campaign he is waging to attribute the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. to duplicity by China’s leaders. In an April 26 interview, he [charged](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wktH8sdPHl0) that, once the Chinese government failed to contain SARS-CoV-2, it deliberately allowed the virus to escape its borders and refused to cooperate with efforts to stop it so as to ensure that other countries also suffered economic damage.\n\nDescribing various actions he thinks the U.S. should take against China, Cotton pointed to longstanding grievances about intellectual property theft to suggest that Congress consider cutting off visas for Chinese students seeking to study science and engineering, especially at the post-graduate level. “If Chinese students want to come here and study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that’s what they need to learn from America. They don’t need to learn quantum computing and artificial intelligence from America,” he remarked.\n\nCotton has previously advanced narrower proposals to restrict visas for Chinese nationals. Last May, he introduced the [PLA Visa Security Act](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/federal-science-bill-tracker\/116th\/pla-visa-security-act), which would generally bar individuals funded or sponsored by institutions that the White House states are affiliated with the Chinese military from obtaining student and visitor-exchange visas. It would also require U.S. consular offices to conduct additional security reviews of Chinese citizens applying for visas to attend graduate school in certain subjects.\n\nThe Trump administration is likewise seeking to focus blame on China for the pandemic. Trump himself sought [for a time](https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2020-03-25\/trump-says-he-ll-stop-using-chinese-virus-easing-blame-game) to label SARS-CoV-2 the “Chinese virus,” and this week he [suggested](https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-33\/) the U.S. may seek financial reparations from China.\n\nToday, the Washington Post [reported](https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/2020\/04\/30\/trump-china-coronavirus-retaliation\/) that senior administration officials and some members of Congress are exploring a range of retaliatory measures against China and are pushing U.S. intelligence agencies to explore the Wuhan lab allegations. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a [statement](https:\/\/twitter.com\/odnigov\/status\/1255868108356681728) today indicating it would continue to investigate the pandemic’s origins, including the possibility it originated at WIV.\n\nMeanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIH and other public health agencies, has appointed Michael Caputo as its new assistant secretary for public affairs, a political operative who recently made racist comments about China.\n\nCNN [reported](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/04\/23\/politics\/michael-caputo-tweets\/index.html) last week that Caputo had erased over 1,000 tweets dating from before he joined the department on April 14, including a number with racist content. On March 12, for instance, he dismissed a conspiracy theory that SARS-CoV-2 originated in a U.S. lab by sarcastically stating, “Sure, millions of Chinese suck the blood out of rabid bats as an appetizer and eat the ass out of anteaters but some foreigner snuck in a bottle of the good stuff.”\n\nAsked for comment by CNN, Caputo expressed indifference to its reporting, saying, “Fair game, dude. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me at all.”\n\n## Societies warn of rising anti-Asian prejudice\nWithout mentioning specific events, the April 20 multi-society letter endorsing the anti-discrimination resolutions declares that the signatories reject “efforts to ascribe fault for the pandemic.” Warning against the [threat of growing racism](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/asian-america\/over-30-americans-have-witnessed-covid-19-bias-against-asians-n1193901), it states,\n\n> Our societies have been concerned by news reports that individuals of Asian ancestry are increasingly subject to stigma, physical attack, or suspicion due to the potential origins of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. These actions are wrong and unacceptable for their racial overtones, their impact on societies and individuals, and run counter to the core values of the scientific community and the members we represent.\n\nThe resolutions themselves condemn “all manifestations of expressions of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, anti-Asian sentiment, scapegoating, and ethnic or religious intolerance.” They also call on federal law enforcement officials to track and take action against hate crimes and threats directed against the Asian American community.\n\nIntroducing the resolutions in [late March](https:\/\/meng.house.gov\/media-center\/press-releases\/meng-introduces-resolution-to-denounce-anti-asian-sentiment-caused-by-0) and [early April](https:\/\/www.harris.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/harris-duckworth-hirono-to-introduce-resolution-condemning-anti-asian-racism-prompted-by-covid-19), Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) called out language used by Trump and others, including terms such as “Chinese virus,” “Wuhan virus,” and [“Kung-flu,”](https:\/\/twitter.com\/weijia\/status\/1239923246801334283) as “irresponsible, reckless, and downright disgusting.” To date, neither the House nor Senate has considered the resolutions during the short periods the chambers have been in session.\n\nEven before the pandemic, there was [substantial concern](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/2019\/scientists-seek-clarity-amid-us-security-push#c100) within the scientific community about discrimination toward Chinese and Chinese American individuals arising from federal efforts to combat [exploitation](https:\/\/www.aip.org\/fyi\/2018\/us-confronting-threat-chinese-exploitation-intellectual-property) of U.S. research by the Chinese government. In particular, investigations by the FBI and agencies such as NIH to uncover surreptitious connections to China have led to a wave of firings and arrests.\n\nWhile the agencies insist they are targeting specific illegal or unethical behaviors, their activities have nonetheless spurred anxieties among researchers with ties to China that they will be subjected to spurious accusations and unfair treatment. The new political environment of the pandemic may compound such fears.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	Under Political Pressure, NIH Blacklists Wuhan Virology Lab - AIP.ORG
Meta Description	Amid political efforts to implicate the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the COVID-19 pandemic, NIH has terminated a grant for coronavirus research that funded collaborative work with the institute. Separately, scientific societies have condemned attempts to ascribe blame for the pandemic, warning of the rising threat of racist attacks on people of Asian background.
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Boilerpipe Text	Amid political efforts to implicate the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the COVID-19 pandemic, NIH has terminated a grant for coronavirus research that funded collaborative work with the institute. Separately, scientific societies have condemned attempts to ascribe blame for the pandemic, warning of the rising threat of racist attacks on people of Asian background. At a media briefing on April 17, President Trump said he would terminate a grant that supports collaborative research activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The National Institutes of Health carried out the termination a week later. (Image credit – The White House) On April 24, the National Institutes of Health terminated a grant for a research project on bat-borne coronaviruses after it was criticized by President Trump and a number of Republican lawmakers. While the grant was held by EcoHealth Alliance, a global environmental health research organization based in New York, it attracted negative attention because part of it supported collaborative activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China. WIV houses a lab equipped to study the most dangerous class of pathogens, and a number of pundits and politicians are now suggesting it accidentally released SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Though thinly supported , the idea is fueling efforts to focus blame for the COVID-19 pandemic on the Chinese government. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), in particular, has cited suspicions about WIV and the actions of Chinese leaders during the pandemic as justifying a hardline stance, which he said this week could include cutting off student visas in technical fields. Meanwhile, many scientific societies have become concerned that rising hostility to China is motivating attacks on people with Asian ethnic backgrounds. On April 20, a group of 50 societies, including AIP, endorsed congressional resolutions introduced by Democratic lawmakers that condemn anti-Asian sentiment related to the pandemic. Political pressure preceded NIH grant termination While Cotton began speculating about WIV’s connection to the pandemic as early as February, interest in the matter has grown following an April 14 article by Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin, who reported that a visiting U.S. delegation warned about safety issues at the institute in 2018. Cotton has cited that report, alongside recent Chinese government actions, as “circumstantial” but convincing evidence the pandemic originated at WIV or a neighboring lab run by the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention. For its part, WIV has denied it is the source of SARS-CoV-2. Disease researchers further maintain it is unlikely the virus was uncovered prior to its spread and state it is far likelier animals passed it to humans in an uncontrolled environment. Meanwhile, in mid-April, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) began drawing attention to EcoHealth Alliance’s grant after it was reported on in the British tabloid press. Asked about the grant at a media briefing on April 17, Trump replied, I’ve been hearing about that. And we’ve instructed that if any grants are going to that area — we’re looking at it, literally, about an hour ago, and also early in the morning. We will end that grant very quickly. In a letter obtained by Breitbart News, on April 19 NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research Mike Lauer directed EcoHealth Alliance to stop all payments to WIV. Lauer stated the agency had suspended WIV’s eligibility to participate in federal programs pending a review of “allegations” about the release of SARS-CoV-2 from its lab. Lauer indicated at that time the action would not affect the remainder of the grant. According to Politico, which first reported on the grant termination, Lauer asked EcoHealth Alliance for more information on April 20, writing, “We need to know all sites in China that have been in any way linked to this award.” He added that “it would be helpful for us to know about all China-based participants in this work,” dating back to the project’s start in 2014. On April 21, a group of 54 Republican lawmakers led by Gaetz and Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) called for assurance from congressional leaders that no pandemic response funding would go to WIV, citing the EcoHealth Alliance grant. “We’re sure you agree that taxpayers’ money should not be sent to a dangerous Chinese state-run bio-agent laboratory that lacks any meaningful oversight from U.S. authorities,” they wrote. NIH terminated EcoHealth Alliance’s grant three days later. According to Politico, Lauer stated in a letter, “At this time, NIH does not believe that the current project outcomes align with the program goals and agency priorities.” NIH awarded about $3.4 million in total to EcoHealth Alliance via the grant in fiscal years 2014 through 2019, and the agency has asked it not to spend funds awarded for fiscal year 2020. It is unclear what specifically prompted NIH to reverse its assurance about the grant’s continuation but the agency appears not to have alleged any wrongdoing. Virus lab accusations fuel hostility to China Warning: This section quotes vulgar and racist language. Cotton’s accusation that the Chinese government concealed WIV’s role in the pandemic is part of a broader campaign he is waging to attribute the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. to duplicity by China’s leaders. In an April 26 interview, he charged that, once the Chinese government failed to contain SARS-CoV-2, it deliberately allowed the virus to escape its borders and refused to cooperate with efforts to stop it so as to ensure that other countries also suffered economic damage. Describing various actions he thinks the U.S. should take against China, Cotton pointed to longstanding grievances about intellectual property theft to suggest that Congress consider cutting off visas for Chinese students seeking to study science and engineering, especially at the post-graduate level. “If Chinese students want to come here and study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that’s what they need to learn from America. They don’t need to learn quantum computing and artificial intelligence from America,” he remarked. Cotton has previously advanced narrower proposals to restrict visas for Chinese nationals. Last May, he introduced the PLA Visa Security Act , which would generally bar individuals funded or sponsored by institutions that the White House states are affiliated with the Chinese military from obtaining student and visitor-exchange visas. It would also require U.S. consular offices to conduct additional security reviews of Chinese citizens applying for visas to attend graduate school in certain subjects. The Trump administration is likewise seeking to focus blame on China for the pandemic. Trump himself sought for a time to label SARS-CoV-2 the “Chinese virus,” and this week he suggested the U.S. may seek financial reparations from China. Today, the Washington Post reported that senior administration officials and some members of Congress are exploring a range of retaliatory measures against China and are pushing U.S. intelligence agencies to explore the Wuhan lab allegations. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a statement today indicating it would continue to investigate the pandemic’s origins, including the possibility it originated at WIV. Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIH and other public health agencies, has appointed Michael Caputo as its new assistant secretary for public affairs, a political operative who recently made racist comments about China. CNN reported last week that Caputo had erased over 1,000 tweets dating from before he joined the department on April 14, including a number with racist content. On March 12, for instance, he dismissed a conspiracy theory that SARS-CoV-2 originated in a U.S. lab by sarcastically stating, “Sure, millions of Chinese suck the blood out of rabid bats as an appetizer and eat the ass out of anteaters but some foreigner snuck in a bottle of the good stuff.” Asked for comment by CNN, Caputo expressed indifference to its reporting, saying, “Fair game, dude. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me at all.” Societies warn of rising anti-Asian prejudice Without mentioning specific events, the April 20 multi-society letter endorsing the anti-discrimination resolutions declares that the signatories reject “efforts to ascribe fault for the pandemic.” Warning against the threat of growing racism , it states, Our societies have been concerned by news reports that individuals of Asian ancestry are increasingly subject to stigma, physical attack, or suspicion due to the potential origins of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. These actions are wrong and unacceptable for their racial overtones, their impact on societies and individuals, and run counter to the core values of the scientific community and the members we represent. The resolutions themselves condemn “all manifestations of expressions of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, anti-Asian sentiment, scapegoating, and ethnic or religious intolerance.” They also call on federal law enforcement officials to track and take action against hate crimes and threats directed against the Asian American community. Introducing the resolutions in late March and early April , Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) called out language used by Trump and others, including terms such as “Chinese virus,” “Wuhan virus,” and “Kung-flu,” as “irresponsible, reckless, and downright disgusting.” To date, neither the House nor Senate has considered the resolutions during the short periods the chambers have been in session. Even before the pandemic, there was substantial concern within the scientific community about discrimination toward Chinese and Chinese American individuals arising from federal efforts to combat exploitation of U.S. research by the Chinese government. In particular, investigations by the FBI and agencies such as NIH to uncover surreptitious connections to China have led to a wave of firings and arrests. While the agencies insist they are targeting specific illegal or unethical behaviors, their activities have nonetheless spurred anxieties among researchers with ties to China that they will be subjected to spurious accusations and unfair treatment. The new political environment of the pandemic may compound such fears.
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[BlueSky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Under%20Political%20Pressure%2C%20NIH%20Blacklists%20Wuhan%20Virology%20Lab%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aip.org%2Ffyi%2F2020%2Funder-political-pressure-nih-blacklists-wuhan-virology-lab) - [Email](<mailto: ?>) [FYI](https://www.aip.org/fyi) / Article # Under Political Pressure, NIH Blacklists Wuhan Virology Lab APR 30, 2020 Amid political efforts to implicate the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the COVID-19 pandemic, NIH has terminated a grant for coronavirus research that funded collaborative work with the institute. Separately, scientific societies have condemned attempts to ascribe blame for the pandemic, warning of the rising threat of racist attacks on people of Asian background. [![Will Thomas](https://aip.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7040dff/2147483647/strip/true/crop/800x800+0+0/resize/100x100!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-aip.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1c%2Feb%2Fd9b410924a81a3bc73dfb0613840%2Fmicrosoftteams-image-1.png)](https://www.aip.org/will-thomas) [William Thomas](https://www.aip.org/will-thomas) Spencer R. Weart Director of Research in History, Policy, and Culture ![At a media briefing on April 17, President Trump said he would terminate a grant that supports collaborative research activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.](https://aip.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/73df9e1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/740x450+0+0/resize/740x450!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-aip.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbb%2F7b%2F4fb1183a8705fe782c9992921cd8%2Ftrump-2020-04-17-briefing-nih-grant.jpg) At a media briefing on April 17, President Trump said he would terminate a grant that supports collaborative research activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The National Institutes of Health carried out the termination a week later. (Image credit – The White House) On April 24, the National Institutes of Health [terminated a grant](https://www.ecohealthalliance.org/2020/04/regarding-nih-termination-of-coronavirus-research-funding) for a research project on bat-borne coronaviruses after it was criticized by President Trump and a number of Republican lawmakers. While the [grant](https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_history.cfm?aid=9819304&icde=49508764) was held by EcoHealth Alliance, a global environmental health research organization based in New York, it attracted negative attention because part of it supported collaborative activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China. WIV houses a lab equipped to study the most dangerous class of pathogens, and a number of pundits and politicians are now suggesting it accidentally released SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Though [thinly supported](https://www.vox.com/2020/4/23/21226484/wuhan-lab-coronavirus-china), the idea is fueling efforts to focus blame for the COVID-19 pandemic on the Chinese government. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), in particular, has cited suspicions about WIV and the actions of Chinese leaders during the pandemic as justifying a hardline stance, which [he said](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tom-cotton-suggests-chinese-students-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-study-sciences-in-the-us) this week could include cutting off student visas in technical fields. Meanwhile, many scientific societies have become concerned that rising hostility to China is motivating attacks on people with Asian ethnic backgrounds. On April 20, a group of 50 societies, including AIP, [endorsed](https://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/Multisociety-Letter-Stigmatization-of-Asians_Final.pdf) congressional [resolutions](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/908/text?r=2&s=2) introduced by Democratic lawmakers that condemn anti-Asian sentiment related to the pandemic. ## Political pressure preceded NIH grant termination While Cotton began [speculating](https://youtu.be/ytGIkcCh7T8?t=221) about WIV’s connection to the pandemic as early as February, interest in the matter has grown following an April 14 [article](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/14/state-department-cables-warned-safety-issues-wuhan-lab-studying-bat-coronaviruses/) by Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin, who reported that a visiting U.S. delegation warned about safety issues at the institute in 2018. Cotton has [cited](https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1354) that report, alongside recent Chinese government actions, as “circumstantial” but convincing evidence the pandemic originated at WIV or a neighboring lab run by the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention. For its part, WIV has [denied](https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-bats-expert-says-her-wuhan-lab-wasnt-source-of-new-coronavirus-11587463204) it is the source of SARS-CoV-2. Disease researchers further [maintain](https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/23/841729646/virus-researchers-cast-doubt-on-theory-of-coronavirus-lab-accident) it is unlikely the virus was uncovered prior to its spread and state it is far likelier animals passed it to humans in an uncontrolled environment. Meanwhile, in mid-April, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) began [drawing attention](https://www.foxnews.com/media/gaetz-end-nih-grant-wuhan-virology-lab) to EcoHealth Alliance’s grant after it was [reported on](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8211257/Wuhan-lab-performing-experiments-bats-coronavirus-caves.html) in the British tabloid press. Asked about the grant at a [media briefing](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-april-17-2020/) on April 17, Trump replied, > I’ve been hearing about that. And we’ve instructed that if any grants are going to that area — we’re looking at it, literally, about an hour ago, and also early in the morning. We will end that grant very quickly. In a letter [obtained](https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/04/27/exclusive-federal-health-officials-investigating-wuhan-lab-suspected-of-leaking-coronavirus-taxpayer-grants-to-lab/) by Breitbart News, on April 19 NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research Mike Lauer directed EcoHealth Alliance to stop all payments to WIV. Lauer stated the agency had suspended WIV’s eligibility to participate in federal programs pending a review of “allegations” about the release of SARS-CoV-2 from its lab. Lauer indicated at that time the action would not affect the remainder of the grant. According to Politico, which [first reported](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/27/trump-cuts-research-bat-human-virus-china-213076) on the grant termination, Lauer asked EcoHealth Alliance for more information on April 20, writing, “We need to know all sites in China that have been in any way linked to this award.” He added that “it would be helpful for us to know about all China-based participants in this work,” dating back to the project’s start in 2014. On April 21, a group of 54 Republican lawmakers led by Gaetz and Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) [called](https://www.grassley.senate.gov/sites/default/files/McSally-Gaetz%20Letter%20to%20Senate%20%26%20House%20Leadership%20re%20WIV%20funding%20-%20FINAL.pdf) for assurance from congressional leaders that no pandemic response funding would go to WIV, citing the EcoHealth Alliance grant. “We’re sure you agree that taxpayers’ money should not be sent to a dangerous Chinese state-run bio-agent laboratory that lacks any meaningful oversight from U.S. authorities,” they wrote. NIH terminated EcoHealth Alliance’s grant three days later. According to Politico, Lauer stated in a letter, “At this time, NIH does not believe that the current project outcomes align with the program goals and agency priorities.” NIH awarded about \$3.4 million in total to EcoHealth Alliance via the grant in fiscal years 2014 through 2019, and the agency has asked it not to spend funds awarded for fiscal year 2020. It is unclear what specifically prompted NIH to reverse its assurance about the grant’s continuation but the agency appears not to have alleged any wrongdoing. ## Virus lab accusations fuel hostility to China Warning: This section quotes vulgar and racist language. Cotton’s accusation that the Chinese government concealed WIV’s role in the pandemic is part of a broader campaign he is waging to attribute the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. to duplicity by China’s leaders. In an April 26 interview, he [charged](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wktH8sdPHl0) that, once the Chinese government failed to contain SARS-CoV-2, it deliberately allowed the virus to escape its borders and refused to cooperate with efforts to stop it so as to ensure that other countries also suffered economic damage. Describing various actions he thinks the U.S. should take against China, Cotton pointed to longstanding grievances about intellectual property theft to suggest that Congress consider cutting off visas for Chinese students seeking to study science and engineering, especially at the post-graduate level. “If Chinese students want to come here and study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that’s what they need to learn from America. They don’t need to learn quantum computing and artificial intelligence from America,” he remarked. Cotton has previously advanced narrower proposals to restrict visas for Chinese nationals. Last May, he introduced the [PLA Visa Security Act](https://www.aip.org/fyi/federal-science-bill-tracker/116th/pla-visa-security-act), which would generally bar individuals funded or sponsored by institutions that the White House states are affiliated with the Chinese military from obtaining student and visitor-exchange visas. It would also require U.S. consular offices to conduct additional security reviews of Chinese citizens applying for visas to attend graduate school in certain subjects. The Trump administration is likewise seeking to focus blame on China for the pandemic. Trump himself sought [for a time](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-25/trump-says-he-ll-stop-using-chinese-virus-easing-blame-game) to label SARS-CoV-2 the “Chinese virus,” and this week he [suggested](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-33/) the U.S. may seek financial reparations from China. Today, the Washington Post [reported](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/30/trump-china-coronavirus-retaliation/) that senior administration officials and some members of Congress are exploring a range of retaliatory measures against China and are pushing U.S. intelligence agencies to explore the Wuhan lab allegations. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a [statement](https://twitter.com/odnigov/status/1255868108356681728) today indicating it would continue to investigate the pandemic’s origins, including the possibility it originated at WIV. Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIH and other public health agencies, has appointed Michael Caputo as its new assistant secretary for public affairs, a political operative who recently made racist comments about China. CNN [reported](https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/23/politics/michael-caputo-tweets/index.html) last week that Caputo had erased over 1,000 tweets dating from before he joined the department on April 14, including a number with racist content. On March 12, for instance, he dismissed a conspiracy theory that SARS-CoV-2 originated in a U.S. lab by sarcastically stating, “Sure, millions of Chinese suck the blood out of rabid bats as an appetizer and eat the ass out of anteaters but some foreigner snuck in a bottle of the good stuff.” Asked for comment by CNN, Caputo expressed indifference to its reporting, saying, “Fair game, dude. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me at all.” ## Societies warn of rising anti-Asian prejudice Without mentioning specific events, the April 20 multi-society letter endorsing the anti-discrimination resolutions declares that the signatories reject “efforts to ascribe fault for the pandemic.” Warning against the [threat of growing racism](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/over-30-americans-have-witnessed-covid-19-bias-against-asians-n1193901), it states, > Our societies have been concerned by news reports that individuals of Asian ancestry are increasingly subject to stigma, physical attack, or suspicion due to the potential origins of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. These actions are wrong and unacceptable for their racial overtones, their impact on societies and individuals, and run counter to the core values of the scientific community and the members we represent. The resolutions themselves condemn “all manifestations of expressions of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, anti-Asian sentiment, scapegoating, and ethnic or religious intolerance.” They also call on federal law enforcement officials to track and take action against hate crimes and threats directed against the Asian American community. Introducing the resolutions in [late March](https://meng.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/meng-introduces-resolution-to-denounce-anti-asian-sentiment-caused-by-0) and [early April](https://www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/harris-duckworth-hirono-to-introduce-resolution-condemning-anti-asian-racism-prompted-by-covid-19), Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) called out language used by Trump and others, including terms such as “Chinese virus,” “Wuhan virus,” and [“Kung-flu,”](https://twitter.com/weijia/status/1239923246801334283) as “irresponsible, reckless, and downright disgusting.” To date, neither the House nor Senate has considered the resolutions during the short periods the chambers have been in session. Even before the pandemic, there was [substantial concern](https://www.aip.org/fyi/2019/scientists-seek-clarity-amid-us-security-push#c100) within the scientific community about discrimination toward Chinese and Chinese American individuals arising from federal efforts to combat [exploitation](https://www.aip.org/fyi/2018/us-confronting-threat-chinese-exploitation-intellectual-property) of U.S. research by the Chinese government. In particular, investigations by the FBI and agencies such as NIH to uncover surreptitious connections to China have led to a wave of firings and arrests. While the agencies insist they are targeting specific illegal or unethical behaviors, their activities have nonetheless spurred anxieties among researchers with ties to China that they will be subjected to spurious accusations and unfair treatment. The new political environment of the pandemic may compound such fears. Related Topics - [International](https://www.aip.org/international) [Latest from Physics Today](https://physicstoday.aip.org/) [PHYSICS TODAY](https://physicstoday.aip.org/) / Article [Lessons from Stuart Freedman: Six scientists share their stories](https://physicstoday.aip.org/opinion/lessons-from-stuart-freedman-six-scientists-share-their-stories) Freedman performed crucial work as an experimentalist. But his mentorship was an equally important contribution. April 08, 2026 10:27 AM [PHYSICS TODAY](https://physicstoday.aip.org/) / Article [Republicans and Democrats disagree on direction of US science](https://physicstoday.aip.org/news/republicans-and-democrats-disagree-on-direction-of-us-science) April 07, 2026 09:54 AM [PHYSICS TODAY](https://physicstoday.aip.org/) / Article [Physical properties of a perfect pasta sauce](https://physicstoday.aip.org/quick-study/physical-properties-of-a-perfect-pasta-sauce) Understanding how ingredients interact can help cooks consistently achieve delicious results. April 06, 2026 04:16 PM [PHYSICS TODAY](https://physicstoday.aip.org/) / Article [Quantum drops are spotted in ultracold gas of molecules](https://physicstoday.aip.org/news/quantum-drops-are-spotted-in-ultracold-gas-of-molecules) Strong and tunable long-range dipolar interactions could help probe the behavior of supersolids and other quantum phases of matter. April 06, 2026 11:18 AM [PHYSICS TODAY](https://physicstoday.aip.org/) / Article [The paradoxical phenomenon of quantum scarring](https://physicstoday.aip.org/features/the-paradoxical-phenomenon-of-quantum-scarring) Inside certain quantum systems, where randomness was thought to lurk, researchers—after a 40-year journey—have found order and unique wave patterns that stubbornly survive. April 02, 2026 12:26 PM More from FYI [![Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology David Sacks speaks at an event in 2025.](https://aip.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/63f47c5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1493+0+0/resize/840x418!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-aip.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F37%2F70%2F6a66059142429ba299ac33eba83a%2Fsacks-pcast-2025.png)](https://www.aip.org/fyi/white-house-announces-pcast-members) [FYI](https://www.aip.org/fyi) / Article [White House Announces PCAST Members](https://www.aip.org/fyi/white-house-announces-pcast-members) March 26, 2026 04:27 PM [![Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) at a Senate Small Business Committee hearing in 2025.](https://aip.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7db5453/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1019+0+0/resize/840x418!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-aip.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1c%2F40%2Fac612fab4108b82a4ed79042197d%2Fmarkey-and-ernst.png)](https://www.aip.org/fyi/congress-passes-small-business-research-reauthorization) [FYI](https://www.aip.org/fyi) / Article [Congress Passes Small Business Research Reauthorization](https://www.aip.org/fyi/congress-passes-small-business-research-reauthorization) March 24, 2026 01:55 PM [FYI](https://www.aip.org/fyi) / Article [DOE Reorganizes Office of Science](https://www.aip.org/fyi/doe-reorganizes-office-of-science) The Department of Energy’s Office of Science is being ‘realigned’ following a broader restructuring of the agency. March 20, 2026 11:55 AM [FYI](https://www.aip.org/fyi) / Article [NIH Director Promises to Speed Up Grantmaking](https://www.aip.org/fyi/nih-director-promises-to-speed-up-grantmaking) Jay Bhattacharya told House appropriators the agency would accelerate grant approvals and spend all of the agency’s fiscal year 2026 funds. March 18, 2026 03:34 PM [FYI](https://www.aip.org/fyi) / Article [NRC Mulls Changes to Radiation Safety Requirements](https://www.aip.org/fyi/nrc-mulls-changes-to-radiation-safety-requirements) The Department of Energy has already cut mentions of the ALARA principle amid a larger push by the White House to change radiation regulations. March 17, 2026 03:54 PM [FYI](https://www.aip.org/fyi) / Article [Scientists Gather for Second Annual ‘Stand Up for Science’ Rally](https://www.aip.org/fyi/scientists-gather-for-second-annual-stand-up-for-science-rally) Calls to return control of science to scientists and oust HHS Secretary RJK Jr. dominated the day. 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Readable Markdown	Amid political efforts to implicate the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the COVID-19 pandemic, NIH has terminated a grant for coronavirus research that funded collaborative work with the institute. Separately, scientific societies have condemned attempts to ascribe blame for the pandemic, warning of the rising threat of racist attacks on people of Asian background. ![At a media briefing on April 17, President Trump said he would terminate a grant that supports collaborative research activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.](https://aip.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/73df9e1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/740x450+0+0/resize/740x450!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-aip.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbb%2F7b%2F4fb1183a8705fe782c9992921cd8%2Ftrump-2020-04-17-briefing-nih-grant.jpg) At a media briefing on April 17, President Trump said he would terminate a grant that supports collaborative research activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The National Institutes of Health carried out the termination a week later. (Image credit – The White House) On April 24, the National Institutes of Health [terminated a grant](https://www.ecohealthalliance.org/2020/04/regarding-nih-termination-of-coronavirus-research-funding) for a research project on bat-borne coronaviruses after it was criticized by President Trump and a number of Republican lawmakers. While the [grant](https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_history.cfm?aid=9819304&icde=49508764) was held by EcoHealth Alliance, a global environmental health research organization based in New York, it attracted negative attention because part of it supported collaborative activities with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China. WIV houses a lab equipped to study the most dangerous class of pathogens, and a number of pundits and politicians are now suggesting it accidentally released SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Though [thinly supported](https://www.vox.com/2020/4/23/21226484/wuhan-lab-coronavirus-china), the idea is fueling efforts to focus blame for the COVID-19 pandemic on the Chinese government. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), in particular, has cited suspicions about WIV and the actions of Chinese leaders during the pandemic as justifying a hardline stance, which [he said](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tom-cotton-suggests-chinese-students-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-study-sciences-in-the-us) this week could include cutting off student visas in technical fields. Meanwhile, many scientific societies have become concerned that rising hostility to China is motivating attacks on people with Asian ethnic backgrounds. On April 20, a group of 50 societies, including AIP, [endorsed](https://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/Multisociety-Letter-Stigmatization-of-Asians_Final.pdf) congressional [resolutions](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/908/text?r=2&s=2) introduced by Democratic lawmakers that condemn anti-Asian sentiment related to the pandemic. ## Political pressure preceded NIH grant termination While Cotton began [speculating](https://youtu.be/ytGIkcCh7T8?t=221) about WIV’s connection to the pandemic as early as February, interest in the matter has grown following an April 14 [article](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/14/state-department-cables-warned-safety-issues-wuhan-lab-studying-bat-coronaviruses/) by Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin, who reported that a visiting U.S. delegation warned about safety issues at the institute in 2018. Cotton has [cited](https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1354) that report, alongside recent Chinese government actions, as “circumstantial” but convincing evidence the pandemic originated at WIV or a neighboring lab run by the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention. For its part, WIV has [denied](https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-bats-expert-says-her-wuhan-lab-wasnt-source-of-new-coronavirus-11587463204) it is the source of SARS-CoV-2. Disease researchers further [maintain](https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/23/841729646/virus-researchers-cast-doubt-on-theory-of-coronavirus-lab-accident) it is unlikely the virus was uncovered prior to its spread and state it is far likelier animals passed it to humans in an uncontrolled environment. Meanwhile, in mid-April, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) began [drawing attention](https://www.foxnews.com/media/gaetz-end-nih-grant-wuhan-virology-lab) to EcoHealth Alliance’s grant after it was [reported on](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8211257/Wuhan-lab-performing-experiments-bats-coronavirus-caves.html) in the British tabloid press. Asked about the grant at a [media briefing](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-april-17-2020/) on April 17, Trump replied, > I’ve been hearing about that. And we’ve instructed that if any grants are going to that area — we’re looking at it, literally, about an hour ago, and also early in the morning. We will end that grant very quickly. In a letter [obtained](https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/04/27/exclusive-federal-health-officials-investigating-wuhan-lab-suspected-of-leaking-coronavirus-taxpayer-grants-to-lab/) by Breitbart News, on April 19 NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research Mike Lauer directed EcoHealth Alliance to stop all payments to WIV. Lauer stated the agency had suspended WIV’s eligibility to participate in federal programs pending a review of “allegations” about the release of SARS-CoV-2 from its lab. Lauer indicated at that time the action would not affect the remainder of the grant. According to Politico, which [first reported](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/27/trump-cuts-research-bat-human-virus-china-213076) on the grant termination, Lauer asked EcoHealth Alliance for more information on April 20, writing, “We need to know all sites in China that have been in any way linked to this award.” He added that “it would be helpful for us to know about all China-based participants in this work,” dating back to the project’s start in 2014. On April 21, a group of 54 Republican lawmakers led by Gaetz and Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) [called](https://www.grassley.senate.gov/sites/default/files/McSally-Gaetz%20Letter%20to%20Senate%20%26%20House%20Leadership%20re%20WIV%20funding%20-%20FINAL.pdf) for assurance from congressional leaders that no pandemic response funding would go to WIV, citing the EcoHealth Alliance grant. “We’re sure you agree that taxpayers’ money should not be sent to a dangerous Chinese state-run bio-agent laboratory that lacks any meaningful oversight from U.S. authorities,” they wrote. NIH terminated EcoHealth Alliance’s grant three days later. According to Politico, Lauer stated in a letter, “At this time, NIH does not believe that the current project outcomes align with the program goals and agency priorities.” NIH awarded about \$3.4 million in total to EcoHealth Alliance via the grant in fiscal years 2014 through 2019, and the agency has asked it not to spend funds awarded for fiscal year 2020. It is unclear what specifically prompted NIH to reverse its assurance about the grant’s continuation but the agency appears not to have alleged any wrongdoing. ## Virus lab accusations fuel hostility to China Warning: This section quotes vulgar and racist language. Cotton’s accusation that the Chinese government concealed WIV’s role in the pandemic is part of a broader campaign he is waging to attribute the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. to duplicity by China’s leaders. In an April 26 interview, he [charged](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wktH8sdPHl0) that, once the Chinese government failed to contain SARS-CoV-2, it deliberately allowed the virus to escape its borders and refused to cooperate with efforts to stop it so as to ensure that other countries also suffered economic damage. Describing various actions he thinks the U.S. should take against China, Cotton pointed to longstanding grievances about intellectual property theft to suggest that Congress consider cutting off visas for Chinese students seeking to study science and engineering, especially at the post-graduate level. “If Chinese students want to come here and study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that’s what they need to learn from America. They don’t need to learn quantum computing and artificial intelligence from America,” he remarked. Cotton has previously advanced narrower proposals to restrict visas for Chinese nationals. Last May, he introduced the [PLA Visa Security Act](https://www.aip.org/fyi/federal-science-bill-tracker/116th/pla-visa-security-act), which would generally bar individuals funded or sponsored by institutions that the White House states are affiliated with the Chinese military from obtaining student and visitor-exchange visas. It would also require U.S. consular offices to conduct additional security reviews of Chinese citizens applying for visas to attend graduate school in certain subjects. The Trump administration is likewise seeking to focus blame on China for the pandemic. Trump himself sought [for a time](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-25/trump-says-he-ll-stop-using-chinese-virus-easing-blame-game) to label SARS-CoV-2 the “Chinese virus,” and this week he [suggested](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-33/) the U.S. may seek financial reparations from China. Today, the Washington Post [reported](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/30/trump-china-coronavirus-retaliation/) that senior administration officials and some members of Congress are exploring a range of retaliatory measures against China and are pushing U.S. intelligence agencies to explore the Wuhan lab allegations. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a [statement](https://twitter.com/odnigov/status/1255868108356681728) today indicating it would continue to investigate the pandemic’s origins, including the possibility it originated at WIV. Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIH and other public health agencies, has appointed Michael Caputo as its new assistant secretary for public affairs, a political operative who recently made racist comments about China. CNN [reported](https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/23/politics/michael-caputo-tweets/index.html) last week that Caputo had erased over 1,000 tweets dating from before he joined the department on April 14, including a number with racist content. On March 12, for instance, he dismissed a conspiracy theory that SARS-CoV-2 originated in a U.S. lab by sarcastically stating, “Sure, millions of Chinese suck the blood out of rabid bats as an appetizer and eat the ass out of anteaters but some foreigner snuck in a bottle of the good stuff.” Asked for comment by CNN, Caputo expressed indifference to its reporting, saying, “Fair game, dude. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me at all.” ## Societies warn of rising anti-Asian prejudice Without mentioning specific events, the April 20 multi-society letter endorsing the anti-discrimination resolutions declares that the signatories reject “efforts to ascribe fault for the pandemic.” Warning against the [threat of growing racism](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/over-30-americans-have-witnessed-covid-19-bias-against-asians-n1193901), it states, > Our societies have been concerned by news reports that individuals of Asian ancestry are increasingly subject to stigma, physical attack, or suspicion due to the potential origins of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. These actions are wrong and unacceptable for their racial overtones, their impact on societies and individuals, and run counter to the core values of the scientific community and the members we represent. The resolutions themselves condemn “all manifestations of expressions of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, anti-Asian sentiment, scapegoating, and ethnic or religious intolerance.” They also call on federal law enforcement officials to track and take action against hate crimes and threats directed against the Asian American community. Introducing the resolutions in [late March](https://meng.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/meng-introduces-resolution-to-denounce-anti-asian-sentiment-caused-by-0) and [early April](https://www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/harris-duckworth-hirono-to-introduce-resolution-condemning-anti-asian-racism-prompted-by-covid-19), Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) called out language used by Trump and others, including terms such as “Chinese virus,” “Wuhan virus,” and [“Kung-flu,”](https://twitter.com/weijia/status/1239923246801334283) as “irresponsible, reckless, and downright disgusting.” To date, neither the House nor Senate has considered the resolutions during the short periods the chambers have been in session. Even before the pandemic, there was [substantial concern](https://www.aip.org/fyi/2019/scientists-seek-clarity-amid-us-security-push#c100) within the scientific community about discrimination toward Chinese and Chinese American individuals arising from federal efforts to combat [exploitation](https://www.aip.org/fyi/2018/us-confronting-threat-chinese-exploitation-intellectual-property) of U.S. research by the Chinese government. In particular, investigations by the FBI and agencies such as NIH to uncover surreptitious connections to China have led to a wave of firings and arrests. While the agencies insist they are targeting specific illegal or unethical behaviors, their activities have nonetheless spurred anxieties among researchers with ties to China that they will be subjected to spurious accusations and unfair treatment. The new political environment of the pandemic may compound such fears.
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