The Trump administration has blocked all NIH communications, including subsidy review meetings, leaving scientists worried about the future of research.
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OOn January 22, 2025, the American scientific community woke up at the brutal and surprising announcement that the Trump administration imposed numerous restrictions on the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including a freeze on the revision meetings of subsidies , communications, travel and hiring. The news left the researchers completely confused and frustrated.
“It’s so devastating and short -sighted and completely ignores the interconnected nature of science,” said Emily Barkley-LevensonPsychologist at Hofstra University.
Many scientists have received e-mails Declaring that their travel plans for upcoming workshops, conferences and subsidy examination signs were canceled during the night.
“You hear the words of words and think:” Oh, it’s just a meeting break, no one wants to go to meetings. But these meetings are the mechanism by which subsidies are granted and dispersed, “said Barkley-Levenson. “It does not look like a break on all research, but all these parts – combinations, travel, communication – are the mechanism by which the materials to be made go to scientists and by which scientists bring their research out The world. “
THE NihThe roots of the roots are deeply put in the country’s academic ecosystem. The 47 billion dollars agency grants 60,000 subsidies per year in various fields, many of which have a direct impact on public health. Each subsidy request goes through several cycles of rigorous evaluations during the months or years, judged by expert panels who form “study sections”.
“There is so much preparation on my part, the criticisms that have spent their time with little compensation to review my grant, then all those who blocked their schedule to travel and discuss all these proposals. All of this was suddenly canceled. This means that I have no idea of the state of my grant, ”said Shannon MacauleyNeuroscientist at the University of Kentucky whose research has been funded by NIH since 2007. “One of the subsidies that I am waiting for at the moment was the merger of data from various projects that have led us to this question that we Let us die of want to answer. And we need resources to do so. »»
This brutal judgment of communication contrasts strongly with the disturbances suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even then, Macauley pointed out that the exam panels have always met online, and the candidates could communicate with the NIH program officers on their subsidy statutes.
Much of the financing of NIHs goes to medical research on cancer, mental health, the development of vaccines, infectious diseases and heart and lung disorders, among others. Scientists, doctors and the public are concerned about how this roadblock will affect these projects and the results for patients in the future. Macauley is concerned about the effects he will have on current studies, in particular those that include human participants. A stand in the financing of this magnitude can lead to a loss of precious moments and potentially derail of projects, she said.
Within the university community, established scientists can have other funds on which to fall back, but a break in subsidy exams could be catastrophic for researchers at the start of their careers who only set up their laboratories. “Young investigators are the most vulnerable because they simply try to take off their career. This first prize can make someone’s career, “said Barkley-Levenson. She also fears that such uncertainties can dissuade young academics and international students from pursuing a scientific career in the United States. Although there are other small financing agencies, many offer only subsidies to buy experimental resources. “You can have the money to perform experiences, but no one to manage them,” said Macauley.
Despite the widespread chaos, there can be an end in sight. According to a note Obtained by national public radio, the restrictions will be lifted on February 1, 2025. However, the short -term break has already caused a significant disturbance, and it will take time to recover from the setbacks. “All that was scheduled for January and which was canceled was based on subsidies submitted in the previous administration. All of this was based on past efforts and so that it is (a) waste. This is wastes the time of researchers, he wastes government resources, “said Macauley. “It is not acceptable.”