Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, he has cut billions of dollars in biomedical research funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), leading 12 universities and 22 states to sue the NIH for making budget cuts.
Biomedical research is crucial to finding cures to infectious diseases and certain disorders that are heavily affecting the human population. Cutting the funding to these organizations can slow down research, which is already a race against time.
By definition, biomedical research is the study of living organisms, diseases, and treatments that help improve health. The National Institutes of Health, which is funded by the government, plays a big role in this specialty. They give out grants, making research possible for laboratories across the country, from new vaccines to cancer research.
Every year, the NIH provides more than $47 billion to biomedical research in the United States. The Trump Administration froze a vast amount of this funding, preventing it from ever funding research. This means that many labs will be unable to follow through with their projects due to the limited funding.
Many scientists, doctors, and researchers have stated that they have been negatively impacted by this cut. For example, Doctor Steffanie Strathdee at the University of California San Diego had been studying the connection between drug use and H.I.V. infections. She was about to begin her investigation, but her grant review meeting was canceled. This has happened for many other people in the biomedical field. Similarly, Dr. Anthony Richardson at the University of Pittsburgh was awaiting funding for his research on staph infections in diabetes patients, but his grant application was never reviewed.
This halt to funding has caused problems outside of the lab as well, according to certain colleges. MIT, Columbia University, and the University of Pittsburgh have stopped admitting new PhD students in the biomedical research programs. Because of this, many students may see a significant drop in job opportunities.
The United States has been a global leader in biomedical research for decades, advancing more groundbreaking studies than the next 10 leading countries combined together. NIH-funded research has led to developments in cancer treatments, vaccines, and even popular medications like Ozempic. By stalling the funding, the government risks slowing progress on life-saving discoveries and treatments.
As the funding freeze continues, scientists, universities, and lawmakers are left wondering when — and if — biomedical research will be able to resume at full capacity. If these cuts persist, the long-term effects could be devastating for both American innovation and public health.