The University of Chicago receives more than $350 million a year in funding from the National Institutes of Health, the largest funder of biomedical research in the world. These funds are necessary to support every facet of research at the university both inside and outside the biomedical research setting, including in the Social Sciences Division and even the Booth School of Business. It will be extremely difficult to fund grants (research proposals), conduct research and pay staff without it.
Scott Oakes, vice dean for clinical science research for the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine, said that out of all of this funding, it is expected that approximately at least 25% of this funding will be cut.
Here are some ways the cuts will affect UChicago:
- Many research projects have been halted or eliminated. The total research funding to UChicago from the NIH is $270-300 million, so cuts are expected to be around $70 million per year.
- Since the federal administration cut the amount allowed in grants for administrative costs, researchers are increasingly left to manage their own research portfolios.
- Research committees focused on underserved populations, such as LGBTQ+ and people of color will be at greater risk of having their funding cut, either partly or completely, due to President Trump’s plan to cut DEI programs. About $30 Million is expected to be cut.
- Committee meetings to review new funding proposals and opportunities that support research of celiac disease and diabetes have been postponed or terminated, further preventing research, including life-saving cancer research on new therapies, from being conducted or developed.
- Due to the Trump administration cutting many positions at the Food and Drug Administration, UChicago can no longer get research trials, such as treatment for HIV, reviewed and approved, which is needed for them to begin as quickly as needed
- UChicago medical students have had their training awards terminated, which prevents new medical students from completing research that is part of their training.
Sources: Scott Oakes, vice dean for clinical science research for the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago Maroon.
