The Impact of NIH Funding Cuts on Scientific and Medical Research
The current administration is finding ways to "save" money by any means necessary. One of these means is freezing grants for the National Institute of Health (NIH) which is one of the most reputable research centers in the world. According to the NIH.gov website, "the goal of NIH research is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability, from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold". With an annual budget of $48 billion, the NIH is the biggest funder of research in the world, providing funds to research institutes, biopharmaceutical companies, colleges, universities and hospitals.
The United States alone received over $37 billion in 2024. Cuts in funding to the NIH would have catastrophic consequences, affecting research, patients, doctors, scientists, students, and the overall progress of medical advancements that will impact future generations to come. Thankfully, that freeze was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
When news broke that the NIH was included in the federal funding freeze, the science community was shaken up. It felt like the world was living in a twilight zone because who would want to inhibit the future of medical advancements? Who would possibly imagine questioning science and higher education? Especially when such efforts could get in the way of finding a cure.
The future of many hospitals, research labs, and universities were left at a standstill and no one knew what this meant for the future.
The indirect cost, also known as overhead or facilities and administration cost, was slashed from the average rate of 30% to a cap of 15%, which is said to "save" $4 billion dollars. Some organizations like Harvard have an indirect cost of over 30%. So a cut to 15% will have dire consequences. Indirect costs are vital for supporting the infrastructure and resources that help research stay afloat. These indirect costs can account for rent, utilities, IT support, legal, etc.
Many don’t realize that these indirect costs help fund the lights, the heat, and the plumbing. Sometimes even the paper being used! If funding is cut to 15%, many hospitals, colleges, and universities will be scrambling on how to fill these gaps, whether it be increasing tuition, massive layoffs, stopping or delaying future medical and scientific research plans, or even closing down certain buildings.
An increase in tuition will affect those especially in publicly funded colleges. Students will have to choose whether they want to stay the course or pivot to something else because of the high rising cost. Many graduate programs are already pausing admissions or capping their acceptance rate to offset the budget cuts. For incoming students, this will alter their trajectory and life plans and their future to come.
Many groundbreaking discoveries, including cancer treatments, vaccines, and therapies for rare diseases, were because of the funding from the NIH. With cuts to their budget, there will be fewer projects that will funded, meaning many studies will be delayed, stopped, or abandoned altogether. A cut to funding will dramatically slow down scientific progress, meaning that drug approvals will take much longer, and finding new treatments will be delayed. Without funds, there is no research, and with no research there is no cure.
The NIH is also credited with funding and fueling the careers of many scientists and doctors. Without funds received from the NIH, many would not have been able to complete their post-doctoral work or set up their labs. Without funding, many would have given up on their career pat,h abandoning the science community. With cuts to the NIH, there will be fewer new scientist who are able to break into this field, and who knows what future advancements will be lost.
New grant applications are already left in limbo because of this freeze, and many organizations have stopped hiring new staff and have preemptively even let some go to account for the gap. Twenty two states have banded together and are seeking this to be stopped and have filed lawsuits. They are communicating with their congressional representatives and have been having meetings in Washington DC arguing that these cuts are unlawful and have reiterated the consequences that would to come because of this. A judge has agreed to uphold the temporary block but will be making his final decision soon on this.
As a lupus warrior with Sjögren’s and non-Hodgkins lymphoma working in the field of clinical research, I am baffled at how this administration is handling this. They are "saving" money but at what cost. As a person suffering from many diseases, I am waiting for the day when a new therapy or a cure for lupus, sjogren’s or cancer will be announced.
However, it will not be possible if the cuts to the NIH will be upheld. To ensure continued progress in medical science and to improve public health outcomes, it is crucial to support and maintain strong NIH funding. Investing in research today leads to better healthcare, economic growth, and scientific innovation for the future.