On January 22, 2025, Memoli was appointed acting director of the NIH by the Trump administration.[3][4] During his direction in early 2025, the NIH suffered from confusion regarding details of purchasing and conducting research.[5] On February 7, 2025 his office issued a notice on capping the indirect cost rate at 15%.[6] For some universities this corresponds to more than a 75% decrease from the current rate.[7] Several states have subsequently sued the NIH, arguing that "Without relief from NIH’s action, these institutions’ cutting-edge work to cure and treat human disease will grind to a halt."