The federal agency tasked with reducing government waste has canceled several controversial grants issued during the Biden administration, describing them as unusual and misaligned with taxpayer priorities.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) says its review of grant expenditures during the prior Democrat-run administration has resulted in $163 million in terminated funding, as part of a larger effort to cut federal costs across departments, as Breitbart reports.

The agency specifically targeted several awards made by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), many of which focused on projects related to LGBTQ+ history, identity, and digital education resources. Officials said these awards did not align with their revised criteria for allocating taxpayer dollars.

Liberal-aligned grants see cuts

Among the grants canceled was a $350,000 award for producing interactive gay travel guides that aimed to explore and contextualize historic LGBTQ+ locations. Another grant, totaling $247,000, was designated for archiving first-person narratives of transgender adults living in the Pacific Northwest.

Other projects included $60,000 for a study examining how LGBTQ+ cartoonists influenced the comic book genre in the 1980s and 1990s, and $75,000 to investigate how streaming and online broadcasting platforms serve LGBTQ+ communities.

One terminated grant, not directly related to LGBTQ+ research, allocated $150,000 toward archaeological work on a large-scale brewery site in Egypt. Additionally, $350,000 was earmarked to produce a Spanish-language version of an online LGBTQ+ vocabulary index known as Homosaurus.org.

New rules emphasize "America First" priorities

In a media post, DOGE explained it reviewed former grant allocations and eliminated what it deemed “bizarre and wasteful causes,” naming each grant publicly. The statement said that moving forward, NEH funding would only go to projects considered “merit-based” and those serving “non-DEI, pro-America” purposes.

The DOGE spokesperson noted that the canceled grants represented just one category within a much broader effort to scrutinize and reduce federal spending carried forward across multiple agencies and departments.

While some of the targeted projects focused on preserving underrepresented histories and communities, DOGE’s reevaluation has prioritized rechanneling funds toward initiatives it views as more directly beneficial to the general public.

Cost-cutting strategy yields billions on savings

The agency says its overall campaign of reviews, renegotiations, and contract terminations has generated approximately $170 billion in government savings across multiple efforts. This includes not only the grant cancellations but also actions like shutting down unneeded leases, reducing workforce-related costs, and increasing fraud prevention efforts.

DOGE estimates that these actions have saved the equivalent of $1,055.90 per U.S. taxpayer since the start of its initiative, though it did not detail how that figure was calculated. The department routinely publishes updated savings metrics on its public leaderboard dashboard.

According to that internal ranking, the Department of Health and Human Services leads in terms of implementing cost-saving strategies. It is followed by the General Services Administration and the Department of Education in terms of financial impact.

Varied performance across agencies observed

Agencies such as NASA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Transportation have generated comparatively smaller savings totals under DOGE’s current review system. However, DOGE did not indicate whether those departments faced specific scrutiny or if further reductions were forthcoming.

Critics of the cuts may see the move as politically motivated, especially given that many of the canceled grants involved diversity, equity, and inclusion themes, but DOGE has emphasized its focus is on cost control and efficacy rather than ideology.

The agency states that future NEH projects should present objectives that justify public investment based on merit, measurable outcomes, and alignment with broader societal benefit, and not primarily on identity-based themes.

Reactions, lasting implications remain unclear

DOGE has not disclosed which upcoming grant cycles, if any, will be influenced by this new direction. NEH has yet to issue its own response or announce revised guidelines in light of the newly enforced rules from DOGE.

In the announcement highlighting the disqualified grants, DOGE reiterated its mission to track taxpayer dollars and cut what it deems excess or unnecessary spending. “During the previous administration, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded the following grants to spend taxpayer dollars, all of which have been cancelled,” the statement read.

As the program continues and more federal allocations face evaluation, further changes to how cultural and educational projects are funded may be on the horizon. For now, DOGE’s focus appears rooted in promoting an agency-wide push for accountability, fiscal prudence, and what it views as national interest-oriented spending.