US NIH awarded nearly $800,000 for fox research linked to Siberian lab
The article reports that US federal health research funding totalling nearly $800,000 went to a University of Illinois project linked through a Russian research institute to a Siberian anti-plague laboratory. The report has drawn scrutiny because it alleges the funding supported research involving animals in Russia, while the Irkutsk laboratory is under attention following reports of a suspected plague outbreak.
White Coat Waste, a government watchdog, says the National Institutes of Health awarded $389,943 in July 2025 and $389,746 in September 2026 for research into fox social behaviour. The group says the foxes were raised in Siberia and killed before samples were sent to the university; it argues this conflicts with a 2022 US directive to stop funding animal testing in Russia. Russian authorities have described a lab worker’s death as pneumonia, while other reports allege plague cases; the NIH and Department of Health and Human Services were asked to comment.
- Watchdog reports nearly $800,000 in NIH funding for a university project.
- The research involved foxes raised at a Siberian breeding facility.
- The funding’s links to Russian research and animal testing are under scrutiny.
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The story concerns American federal research funding that was connected to a Russian laboratory in Siberia through institutional links. The National Institutes of Health awarded nearly $800,000 to a University of Illinois project studying fox behaviour, with the animals raised in Russia and killed before their tissue samples were sent to the university for analysis.
The Irkutsk laboratory is a research facility in Russia's Siberia region that has recently drawn international attention. A laboratory worker's death was attributed to pneumonia by Russian authorities, though other reports have described suspected plague cases at the facility, leading to questions about the laboratory's operations and safety standards.
The funding arrangement has come under scrutiny because it may conflict with a 2022 United States policy directive aimed at stopping federal support for animal testing in Russia. The matter raises questions about how American federal research funding is overseen when involved with facilities and operations in Russia, and what safeguards are in place for such international research partnerships.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Fox behaviour research contributes valuable insights into plague transmission and disease vectors, representing legitimate public health science. International scientific collaboration, including with Russian institutions, can advance important research when properly reviewed through established NIH processes. The funding likely underwent appropriate vetting, and the research itself—studying animal behaviour patterns—is not inherently problematic if conducted under proper oversight protocols.
The case against
The 2022 US directive explicitly prohibited animal testing funding in Russia, and this award appears to violate that policy, raising questions about oversight and implementation. The Siberian facility's focus on plague and the recent suspected outbreak create biosecurity risks that should preclude such funding. Supporting animal research in Russia contradicts stated policy priorities and may inadvertently strengthen partnerships with institutions whose safety standards and transparency remain unclear.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Russian plague lab reportedly received $800k in research funding from RFK Jr’s Health and Human Services”.