The first months of the Trump administration have brought uncertainty and complications to the National Institute of Health (NIH). A funding freeze, a communications freeze and overhead cost caps are among some of the challenges facing researchers at Western Washington University.
On Jan. 21, a directive initiated by the Trump administration from the Department of Health and Human Services paused all communications at the NIH.
Then, on Jan. 27, the Trump administration issued an order freezing payments on all federal grants and loans, including NIH grants.
Josh Kaplan, an associate professor at Western, runs the Kaplan lab. The lab recently received a $400,000 grant from the NIH. His research looks into the effects of cannabis-based treatments on conditions like autism and epilepsy.
When the Trump administration came to office, Kaplan’s grant was still in the final stages of approval.
“We were left wondering, ‘does the money that we were promised still exist?’” Kaplan said “The school didn't know, and even the government agencies didn't really know.”
As of March 14, the NIH grant for the Kaplan lab is secure and their research on cannabis is ongoing.
Lina Dahlberg, a biology professor at Western, runs a lab studying how cells react to stressors that affect protein machinery.
“What was hardest about those two weeks of truly no communication was that we were not hearing from the NIH on how things would be changing,”Dahlberg said. “We were hearing from the administration about how they wanted to change things.”
Judith Wasserheit, a professor of global health at the University of Washington spoke to the current state of the funding freeze.
“At NIH all funding of new grants are on hold. Study sections, the groups that review grant applications, are on hold. Council meetings, the groups that have the final review of grant proposals, those have been frozen,” Wasserheit said. “Any money that's not already in the hands of researchers is not going out.”
On Feb. 7, the Office of the Director for the NIH capped the indirect cost rate for grants at 15%.
Lindsey Frallic, the Director of Research and Sponsored Programs for Western, explained what these costs entail.
“These costs include supporting facilities, business services, department and university administration related to safety and research compliance and other infrastructure needs tied to research activity,” Frallic wrote in an email.
Western's current rate is 51.5%. If the 15% cap goes into place, Western stands to lose a significant sum of money.
“While our portfolio of NIH awards is small compared to the number of awards we receive from other funding agencies, their impact is significant. A reduction in F&A (facility & administration) would have a ripple effect on the university’s ability to maintain a healthy research environment,” Frallic said.
On March 5, a federal district court judge in Massachusetts granted a preliminary injunction that blocked the indirect cost cap. As of March 18, it is still being litigated in court.
“Every time one of these things happens there's this constriction of your heart. What are you going to do if this really sticks around,” Dahlberg said.
Both Dahlberg and Kaplan underscored the importance of the opportunities research labs give undergraduate students.
“The NIH is where I can go to find funding to do research with my students,” Dahlberg said. “I am so excited to have the funding that I do have because it's going to give people in my lab a different set of opportunities.”
Kaplan also highlighted the importance of student research.
“The NIH is important to keep academic research robust,” Kaplan said. “The academic institutions are also training the next generation of scientists. If we don't provide the resources for that training, then the scientists won't be there.”
Nick Schneider is a Western student who works in the Kaplan lab.
“As far as students go, it's important that they continue to have opportunities and see that even though federal funding might be in jeopardy, there is still a possibility for a future and career in science,” Schneider said. “Not everything is crashing down.”
Another concern of both professors is the future of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in NIH grants.
“Once the communications started flowing again, it became clear that anything that had a diversity angle or inclusion or equity angle was being triaged out of the system. It has nothing to do with merit or peer review; simply everything being cut based on those words,” Dahlberg said.
Kaplan reiterated the uncertainty around DEI language.
“Part of getting this grant enabled an extra pot of money that I could apply for that would support the integration of additional students in the lab for marginalized backgrounds,” Kaplan said.
According to ABC, the NIH has cut dozens of active grants that involve LGBTQ+ issues, gender identity and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Despite the uncertainty at the NIH, Kaplan remains steadfast in his commitment to his students and their work.
“We are continuing to push forward despite the challenges ahead,” Kaplan said. “Western is an amazing place to do research and to work with students because even though the NIH impacts Western, our commitment is still to the students and that's not wavering.”
Liam Walsh (He/Him) is a city news reporter this quarter for the Front. He is a sophomore majoring in journalism with a news/editorial concentration. In his free time he plays for the Western rugby team. Reach him at liamwalsh.thefront@gmail.com
