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Odd Lots
Trump's NIH Cuts Send Shockwaves Through the Science World
Mar 8, 2025
Carole LaBonne, a Professor of Molecular Biosciences at Northwestern University, dives deep into the implications of the Trump administration's NIH funding cuts. She discusses how the new 15% cap on indirect costs affects institutional overhead and research. LaBonne highlights the crucial role of indirect funding in fostering innovation and the challenges researchers face in securing grants. The conversation also touches on the competitive landscape between U.S. and Chinese research funding, revealing the urgent need for reform and its broader impact on public health.
44:09
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Quick takeaways
- The introduction of a 15% cap on indirect costs for NIH grants jeopardizes crucial research activities, particularly in critical areas like pediatric cancer.
- The disruption caused by funding freezes at the NIH threatens the scientific workforce and undermines decades of progress in biomedical research.
Deep dives
Impact of NIH Funding Changes
Recent modifications to NIH funding have introduced a significant cap on indirect costs for grants, affecting various research programs. This change is projected to lead to a substantial decrease in total funding for critical areas such as pediatric cancer research, where historic survival rates have greatly improved due to previous NIH support. The imposition of this cap is seen as a sledgehammer approach that may lead to a reduction in essential research activities rather than enhancing efficiency in funding utilization. Experts highlight that such drastic cuts could undermine decades of progress in scientific research and innovation.
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