A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from drastically cutting medical research funding that many scientists say will endanger patients and cost jobs.
The new National Institutes of Health policy would strip research groups of hundreds of millions of dollars to cover so-called indirect expenses of studying Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and a host of other illnesses — anything from clinical trials of new treatments to basic lab research that is the foundation for discoveries.
Separate lawsuits filed by a group of 23 states plus organizations representing universities, hospitals and research institutions nationwide sued to stop the cuts, saying they were unlawful, and would cause “irreparable harm.”
U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Boston had temporarily blocked the cuts last month. Wednesday, she filed a preliminary injunction that puts the cuts on hold for longer, while the suits proceed.
The NIH, the main funder of biomedical research, awarded about $35 billion in grants to research groups last year. The total is divided into “direct” costs — covering researchers’ salaries and laboratory supplies — and “indirect” costs, the administrative and facility costs needed to support that work.
The Trump administration had dismissed those expenses as “overhead,” but universities and hospitals argue they’re far more critical. They can include such things as electricity to operate sophisticated machinery, hazardous waste disposal, staff who ensure researchers follow safety rules and janitorial workers.
Under prior policy, the government negotiated those rates with institutions. As an example, an institution with a 50% indirect cost rate would get another $50,000 to cover indirect expenses for a $100,000 project. The NIH’s new policy would cap indirect costs at a flat rate of 15% instead, calculated to save the agency $4 billion a year.
Dr. David J. Skorton of the Association of American Medical Colleges, one of the plaintiffs, applauded the ruling. “These unlawful cuts would slow medical progress and cost lives,” he wrote in a statement, saying the NIH-funded research “benefits every person and community in America.”
The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIH, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in Michigan, the potential cuts to funding that supports research projects at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University was up to $200 million.
"Our colleges and universities are at the forefront of groundbreaking advancements, driving progress in new prostate cancer treatments, studying the effects of epilepsy medication on children, and improving PTSD outcomes for our veterans. This preliminary injunction ensures that their essential work can continue without disruption," Nessel said in a statement.
"Had these cuts gone through, the consequences would have been devastating, leading to layoffs, suspension of critical research programs, and the loss of medical breakthroughs that could save countless lives. With tens of thousands of NIH-supported trials currently underway in Michigan, we could not and will not allow Donald Trump to unilaterally derail this vital work. This injunction is a critical step in our ongoing fight to protect federal funding, uphold the rule of law, and ensure Michigan remains a leader in life-changing medical discoveries.”
