The Trump administration has announced plans to slash billions of dollars from overhead costs in biomedical research grants, sparking concerns that it will stifle scientific advancements. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will cut grants for “indirect costs” related to research, such as buildings and equipment, in an effort to save $4 billion.
The agency has capped the rates grants pay for indirect research costs at 15 percent, half of the current average rate of 30 percent. This move is part of broader cost-saving measures and aims to redirect funds towards direct scientific research costs.
Critics argue that the cuts will have a devastating impact on medical research, particularly in institutions with large endowments. Anusha Kalbasi, a lead radiation oncologist at Stanford University, described the grants as essential for maintaining laboratory infrastructure and ensuring researcher safety.
The American Council on Education has warned that the funding cuts will force some labs to shut down. The group’s president, Ted Mitchell, stated that his organization would file a lawsuit over the cuts as soon as they take effect.
The proposal to cap indirect research grant money was included in Project 2025, a “wish list” of conservative priorities written by the Heritage Foundation think tank. While the NIH aims to redirect funds towards scientific research, critics fear that this move will undermine the nation’s research capacity and slow scientific progress.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c15zypvgxz5o