Nih Research provides a delay back for $ 1 billion

Federal research funds in order to solve areas such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease are delayed by about $ 1 billion at the levels of recent years, reflecting the tumultuous beginning of Trump’s administration and orders which froze a number of subsidies, meetings and communication.

The slowdown of the National Institutes of Health awards took place, while last week a legal challenge takes place in connection with a sudden change in administration policy in order to reduce payment for administrative costs and facilities related to medical examinations. The federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily blocked the cuts, waiting for interrogations this month.

Studies financed by federally increased significant progress in the latest gene therapies and treatment strengthening the immune system for some cancer, cystic fibrosis and sickle disease.

According to congress legislators who follow them, a broader delay in financing is felt at universities and medical centers from Baton Rouge to Boston. Federal expenditure records Show that the assignments are about $ 1 billion lower than last year.

According to Senator Tammy Baldwin, a democrat of Wisconsin, financing Nih depends on stopping in the last 10 days.

“The president has completely ceased funds for research that discovers medicines for diseases that destroy families throughout the country, such as Cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, everything to be able to give tax breaks to billionaires and gigantic corporations,” Baldwin said on Friday. “Do not make a mistake, their efforts to make Peter to pay to Paul mean crushing hopes of families and dreams of treatment.”

It was unclear whether the detained funds reflect the administrative arrears or efforts of Trump officials to oppose judges’ rulings who temporarily suppressed efforts to freeze the federal creation of subsidies and expenses.

In the first six weeks of 2024, Nih awarded over 11,000 subsidies in the amount of around $ 2.5 billion. At the same time, this year, the agency has spent around $ 1.4 billion, which is hundreds of millions of dollars lower than the amount awarded during this period over the past six years. Last year, the agency spent around $ 36 billion in subsidies.

Some administrative officials criticized the research subsidy, saying that they reflect liberal prejudice and are devoted to the efforts of diversity and equality. Some critics also say that some universities receive much higher expenditure on covering general costs than other institutions.

A spokeswoman Nih did not immediately ask the request for comment.

At the beginning of this week, Senator Patty Murray, a democrat from Washington, tried to add a provision to the Budget Act, which would restore NIH funds to agreed levels. The effort failed to vote on the party line.

“Trump and Elon – or through pure ignorance or a real lack of care – introduce research saving life in America about maintaining life,” she said in a statement, referring to the billionaire Elon Musk.

In recent days, Nih has passed a significant confusion, and two high officials have announced sudden departure. The agency does not yet have a enduring leader, although Jay Bhattacharya, nominated for the administration of Trump and Professor Stanford, began to make rounds in Congress when the interrogations are confirmed.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the best Federal Health Agency, said that he wanted to withdraw from the research of infectious diseases, the basic area of ​​NIH research and instead focus on chronic diseases that the agency also examines. The agency has 27 separate institutes and centers that finance research and develop treatment of diseases such as cancer and heart disease, as well as infectious diseases such as AIDS and Covid.

Meetings at the agency – during which experts review the applications for grants and issue recommendations for financing – they were suddenly canceled at the end of January after the modern administration issued a broad ban on communication, effectively stopping the financing of modern research. Since then, some of these meetings. . The White House budget office also ordered the pause of all federal subsidies, which canceled a few days later.

The proposed indirect cuts of the costs of medical research themselves were sufficient to arouse deep concerns in Dartmouth and other institutions.

“If the federal government limits its investment, we will have to address research, and the latest science will be shortened,” said Dean Madden, vice president of research at the Medical School in Dartmouth at a press conference on Friday. “You don’t know what discoveries will not be left, but they may contain a cure for cancer in children or alzheimer’s treatment or dozens of other diseases that affect patients in our country.”