The Trump Administration’s Foreign Aid Review: Status of U.S. Support for CEPI

Background on the U.S. and CEPI

• The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) aims to accelerate the development of vaccines and other technologies to prepare for and respond to epidemic and pandemic threats. Pooling and leveraging contributions from more than 30 governments, philanthropic foundations, and private sector partners, CEPI invests to drive research and development into vaccine and therapeutic candidates against high-threat pathogens. It also works to strengthen global laboratory and vaccine manufacturer networks and regulatory environments and to research and support vaccine safety. A core focus is its “100 Days Mission”, an effort to reduce the time it takes to develop vaccines and other countermeasures during outbreaks with pandemic potential.
• Since its founding in 2017, CEPI contributed to the first licensed vaccine for Chikungunya; is supporting the development of vaccines for Lassa fever, MERS, Nipah virus and Rift Valley fever, all of them currently in clinical trials; and aided in the development of seven COVID-19 vaccines that were licensed for use.
• The U.S. government made its first financial contribution to CEPI in 2020 and has thus far invested $217 million in the organization. It has also collaborated in other ways with the CEPI including through partnerships with U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency (BARDA). The U.S. FDA had also been a member of CEPI’s Joint Coordination Group, and USAID, which had managed the relationship with CEPI, before its dissolution in 2025, had held the U.S. government seat on the CEPI Investors Council.
• CEPI reports that it has contributed significantly to the U.S. economy through its funding of U.S.-based vaccine developers and that this funding far exceeds the amount of funding it has received from the U.S. government.
• CEPI replenishes funding every five years. For the last replenishment round, held in 2022, the U.S. pledged $150 million over five years, which has been exceeded. The next replenishment round, known as CEPI 3.0, covers the 2027-2031 period. Additionally, CEPI has launched a Ebola R&D funding appeal (specifically medical countermeasures to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebolavirus), to which the U.S. has pledged $50 million. The U.S. accounts for approximately 6% of total contributions received by CEPI to date.
• Prior to the start of the Trump administration, U.S. funding provided to CEPI in FY 2024 was $100 million.

Current Status of U.S. Support for CEPI

• Stop-work order: The foreign aid review’s stop-work order initially froze all U.S. bilateral programming but was not applied to CEPI or other multilateral institutions. The administration subsequently announced that it canceled 86% of all USAID awards. KFF analysis found that of 770 global health awards identified, 80% were listed as terminated, including the CEPI contract. CEPI reported that it has not received a termination notice, but it has not received any regular funding from the Trump administration.
• International organizations review: A second executive order, calling for a 180-day review of U.S. participation in all international intergovernmental organizations, was initiated. Per the order, the purpose of the review was to determine which are “contrary to the interests of the United States and whether such organizations, conventions, or treaties can be reformed”. CEPI was not on the list of 66 international organizations from which the U.S. withdrew, per a January 7, 2026, presidential memorandum.
• Reorganization: The administration notified Congress on March 28, 2025, of its intent to permanently dissolve USAID and that any remaining USAID operations would be absorbed by the State Department, including global health activities, which would be integrated into its Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD). On May 29, 2025, the State Department further notified Congress of its proposed reorganization plan. With the dissolution of USAID, programs moved in July 2025.
• America First Global Health Strategy: In September 2025, the administration released the America First Global Health Strategy, its roadmap for future U.S. government global health engagement. Per the strategy, the U.S. is negotiating bilateral, multi-year agreements with countries receiving U.S. global health assistance with an aim to transition the majority of countries to full self-reliance by the end of the agreement period. Global health security figures prominently in the new strategy, although CEPI, and other international organizations that focus on pandemic preparedness and response, are not mentioned.
• Funding: The Trump administration has not included funding for CEPI in its budget requests and has provided no regular funding to the organization. Despite this, the Congress has continued to appropriate funding for CEPI, stating that funding should be consistent with prior year amounts.

What to Watch

• Implementation of the America First Global Health Strategy
• Status of U.S. regular funding appropriated by Congress for CEPI but, as yet, not provided by the Trump administration
• Further results of the administration’s international organizations review
• U.S. international engagement in pandemic preparedness and response