The U.S. National Institutes of Health agreed to evaluate hundreds of grant applications that were paused under new administration directives restricting diversity‑related research priorities. The agreement, coming amid litigation by scientific organizations, requires NIH to assess the stalled applications on scientific merit and not to apply the challenged directives during review. Legal and procedural detail: the decision follows a July ruling that prior terminations were unlawful; while broader appeals continue, the NIH’s agreement reopens the path for proposals across topics from Alzheimer’s to minority health to be considered. Plaintiff scientists expressed relief at fair consideration. Why it matters: the move restores near‑term hope for investigators whose research funding was suspended, affecting project timelines and lab staffing across the biomedical research ecosystem.