Research Funding in Crisis

The National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies have abruptly ended nearly three dozen research projects led by Harvard-affiliated hospitals. This move has left many scientists scrambling. The cuts have hit Mass General Brigham, the nation’s top hospital for research grants, hard. The hospital has lost tens of millions in funding. Many of these projects were focused on critical areas like primary care, reproductive health, and pandemic preparedness. The cuts have frozen multiple research programs. Some of these programs were collaborations with other labs within Harvard and at other institutions. The Trump administration has been reviewing nearly $9 billion in federal funding commitments to Harvard and its affiliates. This review is over allegations that Harvard has not adequately addressed antisemitism. The elimination of some of that funding could add to the already significant losses. This could potentially cripple key segments of the local economy. The cuts have left many researchers fearful. Every morning, some researchers wake up to check if their grants have been affected. The uncertainty is taking a toll on the scientific community. The NIH has offered vague reasons for the cuts. Some terminated studies focused on the COVID pandemic or on LGBTQ or transgender health issues. These are subjects of partisan rancor in the Trump era. It is also unclear whether grant applications are being penalized for stating how they will include women and minorities in their programs. This information is required by a law passed decades ago. The NIH has stated that it is taking action to terminate research funding that is not aligned with its priorities. However, it has not explained how it decided to terminate these programs. The cuts have affected other Massachusetts research universities and hospitals as well. Institutions like the University of Massachusetts’ Chan Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Boston Medical Center have also seen funding cuts. Many of these labs are appealing the NIH funding cuts. However, in the meantime, their money has stopped coming in. The full impact of the cuts on Mass General Brigham is not yet clear. The hospital drew over $655 million in NIH funding at Mass. General and over $388 million at Brigham and Women’s last year. The cuts have already had a significant economic impact. Federal cuts have cost Massachusetts over $1. 5 billion in economic losses and 6, 713 research jobs. The cuts have come in waves since late February and appear to be broadening with each passing week. Initially, they were focused on projects related to the health of transgender and LGBTQ people. More recently, the NIH has been canceling studies related to COVID-19. The lack of public uproar over these cuts has been surprising to some. It feels like policy by muscle spasm, with no overriding goal.