$2.2B in Research Grants Frozen: Can DeSci Save Research?

Over $2.2 billion in NIH research grants are frozen. Labs are going dark. What happens now?

In Episode 46 of the Molecule Podcast, we speak with Aaron Weaver, Chief Commercial Officer at Molecule, about the ongoing NIH funding crisis, its global impact, and how decentralized science (DeSci) is becoming a critical alternative.

Aaron brings a unique vantage point from the intersection of venture capital, biotech, and public science funding. This episode unpacks:

• The real story behind the NIH funding freeze

• Why the budget cuts on indirect costs are threatening university research

• What happens when academia loses funding momentum

• How DeSci offers new models for sustainability and collaboration

• How to get involved — even if you’re not a researcherIf you care about the future of scientific discovery, this episode is essential.

Timestamps-

0:00 – Intro: The NIH funding crisis

1:30 – What’s actually frozen? Why $2.2B is stalled

2:50 – Meet Aaron Weaver: CCO of Molecule & DeSci advocate

5:00 – Why indirect costs are at the center of the issue

9:00 – How operational freezes threaten lab survival

11:30 – The fragility of foundational science

13:45 – NIH’s critical role in FDA-approved drugs

17:00 – Academic research vs. commercialization pipelines

20:15 – Who’s affected most? Young researchers & labs

23:00 – Global ripple effects & talent displacement

27:00 – Why traditional VC can’t fill the gap

30:10 – DeSci as a market structure for resilient funding

32:45 – Are universities ready for DeSci?

35:20 – Connecting scientists with global communities

37:10 – Science as public purpose and personal mission

40:00 – How you can get involved in the DeSci movement

🔔 Subscribe to stay updated: https://www.youtube.com/@Molecule_dao/?sub_confirmation=1______If you prefer listening to podcasts on audio apps, feel free to search for "The DeSci Podcast" on Spotify, Google Podcasts & Apple Podcasts. You'll also find all links to the podcast apps below.If you want to join us on the show as a speaker or have guest ideas, please shoot us an mail at podcast@molecule.toSpecial thanks to: Aaron Weaver : https://x.com/RealAaronWeaverJillian Casalini : https://x.com/JillianCasalini______Let's connect: Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2CTwitter: https://twitter.com/Molecule_daoDiscord: https://discord.gg/ZHGpJQzeTqMolecule - The future of medicine belongs to everyone