KQED's Forum How NIH Funding Cuts Are Slowing the Search for Cures
Dec 10, 2025
Megan Molteni, a sharp science writer from STAT News, and Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, delve into the significant impact of NIH funding cuts on medical research. They discuss how these cuts hindered progress in HIV and cancer research, affecting vulnerable populations. Molteni explains the administration's shift to multi-year funding and the resulting competition for grants, while Gandhi highlights the dire consequences for minority-focused studies. Together, they emphasize the critical need for advocacy to restore funding and support the scientific community.
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Trust And Process At NIH Were Severely Damaged
- The administration's actions have broken long-standing trust between NIH and universities.
- Rapid policy shifts and staffing losses slowed peer review and grant awards, reducing new funding opportunities.
Upfront Multi-Year Funding Cuts Award Capacity
- Moving to multi-year upfront funding without increasing the budget reduced the number of awards.
- That change made funding hyper-competitive and lowered researchers' odds of success sharply.
Training Grants Abruptly Stopped Midstream
- Joel Spencer described trainees suddenly losing funding when NIH training grants were stopped midstream.
- Students faced immediate livelihood disruption after years of relocation and preparation for PhD training.