Biomedical Research Faces Funding Crisis as Trump Cuts Take Effect

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. biomedical research is facing severe financial uncertainty following significant funding cuts initiated by the Trump administration. Scientists across the country are expressing concern that these reductions could hinder critical medical discoveries and ultimately affect patient care.

The budget cuts are poised to impact a wide range of treatments and research efforts, with rural cancer patients in Utah and therapies for intellectual disabilities in Maryland at particular risk. According to Dr. Kimryn Rathmell, former director of the National Cancer Institute, the ramifications are dire: “Discoveries are going to be delayed, if they ever happen.”

As medical researchers rally against these changes, they highlight that the crisis extends beyond just financial losses. Neuroscientist Richard Huganir of Johns Hopkins University stated, “For all the people out there who have sick parents, sick children, this is going to impact.” The cuts are disrupting a research ecosystem that has traditionally made the U.S. a leader in scientific innovation, noted Georgetown University health policy expert Lawrence Gostin.

Recent analysis by The Associated Press, in collaboration with the nonprofit United for Medical Research, indicates that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will experience massive funding reductions that will lead to job losses nationwide. These cuts are compounded by widespread government worker layoffs, delays in NIH grant approvals, and an unsettling climate for ongoing research projects.

Patients situated in rural counties face a significantly higher mortality rate, with studies showing they are 10% more likely to die from cancer than urban patients. Neli Ulrich of the University of Utah‘s Huntsman Cancer Institute relayed that a third of patients must travel over 150 miles to access specialized care. For those in remote states like Idaho and Wyoming, the NIH-funded studies at the Salt Lake City facility serve as a necessary lifeline for innovative treatments. The cuts threaten programs designed to enable these patients to participate in clinical trials without extensive travel.

Most of the NIH’s budget, exceeding $35 billion annually, is allocated to universities and research institutions for direct and indirect costs. Recent proposals aim to cap indirect costs at 15%, substantially underfunding essential support costs like facility maintenance and ethical oversight—expenses that researchers say are crucial for sustaining their work. Ulrich emphasizes, “Those are critical expenses; they are not fluff.” A federal judge has temporarily blocked this cap, but uncertainty looms for researchers awaiting clarification.

According to additional data, NIH grants supported over 412,000 jobs and generated $92 billion in economic activity in 2023. An analysis by Inforum estimates that if the proposed cap on indirect costs is implemented, at least 58,000 jobs would be eliminated.

At Johns Hopkins University, which conducts approximately 600 NIH-funded clinical trials, Huganir articulated the stakes clearly: “If we can’t do science and we can’t support the science, we can’t support the surrounding community either.” Huganir is racing against time to secure funding for a promising therapeutic targeting the SynGap1 gene, essential for treating children with specific intellectual disabilities. “We’re running out of time,” he warned.

With NIH delayed in granting new applications amid financial concerns, researchers like Rebecca Shansky from Northeastern University are left in limbo, fearing for the future of their projects. The atmosphere of uncertainty casts doubt on various studies, including those addressing transgender health disparities and the treatment outcomes of different populations.

Dr. Otis Brawley of Johns Hopkins expressed serious alarm over the implications of Trump’s policies, cautioning that interruptions in research on diverse populations could result in preventable patient harm. “We’re actually going to kill people is what it amounts to,” he stated, highlighting a fundamental need to study equitable healthcare access across demographics.

AP reporters Shelby Lum and Adithi Ramakrishnan contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.