Possible National Institutes of Health funding cuts remain a concern for researchers and institutions nationwide, including those in the state of Georgia.
On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump’s administration attempted to freeze NIH funding in order to review the current allocations and determine which grants and institutions will continue to receive funding. This decision was rescinded on Jan. 29.
As part of the administration’s recent attempts to cut federal spending, the NIH announced a policy on Feb. 7 that would cut indirect costs for new and current grants to 15%. Currently, the average percent of grant money going towards indirect costs is 30% and is sometimes as high as 70% at some institutions.
Indirect costs include administrative expenditures intended to support an institution’s grants, and often include expenses such as equipment, financial administrators and construction for laboratories. Concerns have been raised that some institutions may apply such funds too broadly and fail to use their own endowments to support their researchers.
Elon Musk discussed the proposed cut on indirect costs on X. Musk, who currently works as the head of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, is pushing for less government spending.
Dr. Svjetlana Miocinovic, an Emory University neurologist specializing in Parkinson’s, said if the NIH reduces its budget for indirect costs, it will negatively impact biomedical research nationally as indirect costs are a necessary and important expense in research.
“The NIH has been the strongest supporter for this career path, and without that support, the discovery of new cures and treatments will suffer,” said Miocinovic.
Impact on Neuroscience Research
The neuroscience-related institutes receive one of the highest percentages of funding from the NIH out of the 27 institutes and centers the NIH funds. Aside from the new administration’s attempts to change NIH funding, there have been other factors contributing to research funding changes over several years.
Paylines, which indicate the percentage of grant applications the NIH will accept each year, have decreased significantly for institutions funded by the NIH. The payline for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which is one of the institutions that receives the highest amounts of NIH funding, has dropped from 25% to 8% in the past two years, meaning only the top 8% of grant applications will be funded.
On top of the preexisting research funding issues that have taken shape in recent years, the looming threat of indirect cost cuts may lead to more uncertainty in the field of research.
Why This Matters in Athens
The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is projected to continue increasing. This increase is in part due to the aging population of the United States, genetic predispositions to these diseases and environmental factors such as harmful chemicals and pollutants.
Athens and its surrounding counties have a growing 50 and older population, and Athens has won several awards for being one of the best places to retire. This increase in the population of senior individuals will in turn increase the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases in the Athens area.
“This will directly affect all Georgians, those older who are currently suffering from these conditions and those who may develop them in the next few decades,” said Miocinovic. “It takes a long time to develop new medical treatments and cures so if we reduce research efforts now, this will mean fewer treatment options for all of us in the future.”
Neva Drane is a junior majoring in journalism and anthropology at the University of Georgia.
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