Grant (money)

Massachusetts has not released required analyses of racial profiling in traffic stops since 2024, officials told a state Senate oversight committee. A 2019 law, passed after negotiations involving the NAACP and ACLU, requires the Registry of Motor Vehicles to collect race, age and gender data on cited drivers, which the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) must have analyzed annually by a Massachusetts university or nonprofit. Only two reports have been issued since the law took effect, covering 2020 and 2021-2022 data.

Public Safety Secretary Kwon told lawmakers the requirement lacks dedicated funding, with research bids ranging from roughly $600,000 to $1 million compared to an initial $300,000 contract. She also cited disagreement over data analysis methodology, noting criticism of past reports' approach. Sen. Mark Montigny, who helped write the law, pressed EOPSS to seek additional funding from the Legislature if needed. The ACLU's Katy Naples-Mitchell said independent analysis remains critical given traffic stops are the most common contact point between police and the public. EOPSS says data collection continues and a new solicitation for researchers was issued in May.

President Trump briefly proposed shifting authority over National Institutes of Health grants from NIH's peer-review process to White House political appointees, then reportedly backed off the plan within days. The White House has not officially confirmed the plan is scrapped, leaving biotech companies wary of continued instability.

Richmond-based Evizia, which is developing DNA sequencing technology to aid genetic analysis and disease diagnosis, says it is still feeling the effects. The company received a $2.2 million NIH Small Business Innovation grant last year, but delayed funding has prevented it from hiring staff needed for the project. Evizia's Chief Technology Officer Jason Reed warned that added political oversight could slow development of diagnostic tools for diseases including certain cancers, and said the industry doesn't need "another layer of bureaucratic oversight." This follows earlier Trump administration cuts and freezes of roughly $3 billion in previously approved research grants in 2025. Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the proposed grant overhaul.

The Life of Victory in Christ Ministries Community Development Corporation, a faith-based organization based in Winston-Salem, is focused on revitalizing entire neighborhoods in Guilford County, North Carolina, with current efforts centered on Greensboro. Unlike typical nonprofits that serve individuals seeking help, the group works to bring institutions, agencies, and churches together to pool resources for whole communities.

Led by President Kenneth Holly, who also serves on the Community Grantmaking Council of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the organization runs street-level engagement programs including "Health in the Streets," offering free health screenings and medical debt relief, and "Church in the Streets," which brings agencies together for community healing. Dennis White, the group's Community Engagement and Implementation Specialist, says listening to residents builds trust and hope, driving lasting change. The organization is also partnering with hospitals to forgive medical debt for people below the federal poverty line.