NIH to reduce billions of overheads in biomedical studies

President Donald Trump’s administration has announced that it will reduce billions of dollars from overhead costs in grants for biomedical research as part of the broader cost savings measures, a move that some scientists say will suffocate scientific progress.

In a statement on Friday, National Health Institutes (NIH) said it would reduce the grants for “indirect costs” related to research – such as buildings, utilities and equipment.

“The United States must have the best medical research in the world,” NIH said in his message. “Accordingly, it is vital to ensure that the most funds go for direct research as possible, not to administrative overheads.”

The agency estimated that the cuts – which are coming into force on Monday – will save $ 4 billion (£ 3.2 billion).

NIH said on Friday that this would limit the interest rates that grant pay for indirect costs of 15 percent research, half of the current average of 30 percent.

Elon Musk – the leader of the newly formed Ministry of Government Efficiency (Doge), an informal cost reduction group that Trump has given freedom to pay government spending – claims that some universities spend over this 30 percent.

“Can you believe that universities with tens of billions in gifts have transferred 60% of research money for” overhead “?” Musk wrote to X. “What Ripov!”

In the meantime, scientists have expressed fears that redundancies will affect vital medical studies.

The Association of American Medical Colleges said the previous support of the government of indirect establishments and administrative expenses “allows medical research to occur.”

This move “will reduce the nation’s research capacity, slow down scientific progress and deprive patients, families and communities across the country of new treatments, diagnostics and preventive interventions,” the group said.

Anusha Kalbasi, A Lead Radiation Oncologist at Stanford University, Which Receives the Grants, Said The Grants Help “Keep the Lights on and Ventilage in Our Labs Ive Amounts of Data, and Employ the Staff who helps researchers focus on science. This would be a devastating hit even for institutions with great donations. “

The US Education Council said in a statement that the financing of indirect grants has allowed universities to maintain the “avant -garde laboratories” and advanced technologies needed to stay with foreign competitors and to provide breakthroughs in research.

President of the group Ted Mitchell told before Washington Post That some laboratories had already begun to close over the weekend in the news.

He said that the groups are expected to bring down a cut for cuts immediately after Monday.

The proposal to limit gratuitous cash was included Project 2025, “Wish List” from conservative priorities Written by the Brain Trust of the Heritage Foundation.

“Congress must limit the percentage of indirect costs paid to universities so that it does not exceed the lowest rate that the university accepts by a private organization to finance research efforts,” the proposal said.