Funding for federal research to tackle local communities such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease reflects orders that freeze grants, conferences and communications arrangements, reflecting the Trump administration's chaotic beginnings, in recent years It is about $1 billion behind, behind the level.
While awards have slowed down from the National Institutes of Health, the legal challenge surrounding the administration's sudden policy change last week was set to reduce the payment of administrative and facility costs associated with medical research. It's there. A federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily blocked the cuts as he pending hearings later this month.
Federally funded research has driven major advances in cutting-edge gene therapy and treatments that increase the immune system for certain cancers, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease.
The wider delay in fundraising is felt at universities and medical centers from Baton Rouge to Boston, according to legislators tracking it. Federal spending records show that allocations are about $1 billion lower than last year's spending.
According to Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat of Wisconsin, NIH funding is expected to be suspended in the last 10 days.
“The president has completely stopped funding for research to discover treatments for diseases that destroy families across the country, including cancer and Alzheimer's disease. “Don't make a mistake. To pay Paul.” Their efforts to take Peter away mean crushing the hopes of their families and their dreams of cure.”
It is not clear whether the stuck funds reflect a backlog or effort of Trump officials who ignored the judge's ruling that temporarily neglected efforts to freeze federal grants and spending. did.
In the first six weeks of 2024, NIH awarded more than 11,000 grants worth approximately $2.5 billion. During the same period this year, the agency released around $1.4 billion. The agency issued a grant of approximately $36 billion last year.
Some administrative authorities have criticised the research grants, saying they reflect liberal bias and are committed to diversity and equity efforts. Some critics also argue that certain universities receive much greater spending to cover overhead costs than other institutions.
A NIH spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
Earlier this week, Washington Democrat Sen. Patty Murray tried to add provisions to the budget bill that would restore NIH funding to agreed levels. This effort failed in partisan votes.
“Trump and Elon are doing life-saving research on life-sales, either through pure ignorance or a true lack of compassion,” she said in a statement, referring to billionaire Elon Musk. did.
The NIH has been in considerable confusion these days, with two senior officials announcing their sudden departure. Trump administration candidate and Stanford professor Jay Battacharya is beginning to launch rounds in Congress as confirmation hearings approach, but the agency still has no permanent leadership.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the top secretary of the federal health agency, said he would like to return to Infectious Disease Research, a core study area of the NIH research area, and instead focus on chronic diseases. The agency has 27 independent laboratories and centres that fund research into diseases such as cancer and heart disease and develop treatments for infectious diseases such as AIDS and Covid.
Government meetings – experts review grant applications and make funding recommendations – end of January after the new administration issued a drastic communication ban and effectively halted funding for new research. It was suddenly cancelled. Some of those meetings have since resumed. The White House Budget Office also ordered a suspension of all federal grants, which was withdrawn a few days later.
Reducing indirect costs through medical research alone was sufficient to raise deep concerns in Dartmouth and other institutions.
“If the federal government cuts investment, we need to scale back our research and cutting edge science is shorter,” Dean Madden, assistant director of research at Dartmouth's School of Medicine, said at a press conference Friday. “We don't know what discoveries will not be made as a result, but it may include treatments for cancer in children, Alzheimer's disease or dozens of other treatments that are causing patients across our country. Not there.”
