New Haven, CT – Research institutions like Yale and UConn rely on federal grants to fund groundbreaking studies, but proposed cuts threaten that support. Clinical trials, such as those at Yale School of Medicine testing a kidney cancer vaccine, could face setbacks if funding is reduced.
“The idea of basically harnessing the body’s own immune system to recognize those cancer cells and to try to eliminate it,” said Dr. David Braun of Yale School of Medicine.
He noted that early trials showed promise in a small group of patients. “We could direct the immune system and do so in a way that was long lasting.”
Much of this work is backed by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a federal agency dedicated to medical research.
However, the Trump administration has pushed to make government spending more efficient.
In response, NIH enacted a policy capping indirect cost reimbursements for research grants at 15%, estimating savings of $4 billion annually.
Yale received nearly $646 million in NIH funding last year. Dr. Kevan Herold stressed the importance of these funds, pointing out their role in the development of a drug to delay type 1 diabetes.
“The indirect costs that the university received gave us a place where patients could come for these clinical studies. It also supported the equipment that was necessary in order to study samples from the patients and the patients themselves,” he said.
UConn’s School of Medicine secured nearly $60 million in NIH funding. University President Radenka Maric warned of the consequences, stating, “…this change will impair our ability to produce innovative research that benefits all parts of society.”
Connecticut and 21 other states filed a lawsuit challenging the cuts.
A federal judge recently blocked the reductions, leaving the government with a choice: appeal or accept the ruling. If an appeal is filed, the cuts will remain suspended until a higher court decides.
