With an August expiration date, the National Institutes of Health has no plans to use $16 million of the $30 million commitment from the NFL, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Five years ago the NFL pledged $30 million to the National Institutes of Health to help fund a new Sports and Health Research Program to advance brain research.
Since then, studies surfaced accusing the NFL of attempting to improperly influence government research by steering money away from a neuroscientist who had been critical of the league's head injury protocol and trying to steer the investigation toward a physician with ties to the NFL. The NFL rejected the study findings.
According to the LA Times, ESPN reported that in wake of the allegations, NIH will walk away from $16 million of the committed amount.
The NIH said in a statement Thursday that there are "no current research plans" for the remaining funds; however, the NFL said league officials are discussing research projects with the fundraising arm of the NIH, according to the report.