The federal judge blocks drastic funding reductions in medical research

By Lauran Neergaard and Michael Casey

A federal judge prevented the Trump administration from a considerably reducing medical research on Wednesday which, according to many scientists, will endanger patients and cost jobs.

The new political institutes of the National Institutes of Health would remove research groups from hundreds of millions of dollars to cover so -called indirect spending on the study of Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, heart disease and a host of other diseases – all that of clinical trials of new treatments in fundamental laboratory research is the basis of discoveries.

Distinct proceedings filed by a group of 22 states and organizations representing universities, hospitals and research institutions continued to stop the cuts, affirming that they would cause “irreparable damage”.

US district judge Angel Kelley in Boston had temporarily blocked the cuts last month. On Wednesday, she deposited a preliminary injunction that puts the cuts on hold longer, while the prosecution takes place.

The NIH, the main donor of biomedical research funds, has granted around 35 billion dollars in research groups last year. The total is divided into “direct” costs – covering researchers’ salaries and laboratory supplies – and “indirect” costs, administrative costs and installation necessary to support this work.

The Trump administration had rejected these expenses as “general costs”, but universities and hospitals argue that they are much more critical. They can include things such as electricity to operate sophisticated machines, the elimination of hazardous waste, staff who ensure that researchers follow the safety rules and concierge workers.

Under the previous policy, the government has negotiated these rates with the institutions. For example, an institution with an indirect cost rate of 50% would obtain an additional $ 50,000 to cover indirect expenses for a $ 100,000 project. The new NIH policy would rather limit indirect costs at a flat rate of 15%, calculated to allow the agency $ 4 billion a year.

The Department of Health and Sciences of the Associated Press receives the support of the scientific and educational group of the media from the medical institute Howard Hughes and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Originally published: March 5, 2025 at 12:43 pm PST