NIH Fund Freeze Falls $ 1.5 Billion Funds of Medical Research Funds: Shots

The fund stopped for national institutions of health research gives.

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

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Departure of the lease

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

The National Institutes of Health has stopped considering new-handed applications, delaying decisions on how to spend dollars on heart disease and allergies to Alzheimer.

Freeze occurred because Trump administration holds NIH from posting any new notifications to Federal enrollmentneeded before many federal meetings can be done.

While it was as Arcane, the stop was forced by the agency to cancel meetings to review thousands of applications, learned to speak to the public and others who fear the retribution.

The freeze freeze has been completed about 16,000 grant applications vying at about $ 1.5 billion in NUH funds, one of the people familiar with the offering process said.

NIH officers to get the freeze in Federal enrollment Notifications are lifted shortly to avoid an intense fund disruption. With an annual budget nearly $ 48 billion, the NIH is the largest public speaker in the world’s biomedical research.

All requests for Nihal grants pass a strong investigation process. Each year there are about 2,600 meetings involving 28,000 scientists, doctors, administrators and other experts in the reviewers. Their decisions continue to finance the NIH with more than 300,000 researchers in over 2,500 universities, medical schools and other institutions.

But because of freeze, “Applications come and they mainly go to a black hole and nobody can do them,” as the person who is familiar with the process of offering NUD. “We’re now there.”

Some members of committees, including key gatherings known as “study sections,” express failure.

“Now, I intend to serve one of many canceled national institutes in health study sections,” Annika BarberAssistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry of Rutgers University, a briefing said Thursday protesting Biomedical Search Fund. “And instead of giving feedback on the critical biomedical research for federal funds, I am here to explain what America is lost when the scientific research is lost.”

Some outside observers defend the situation.

“A temporary stop publishization or funding new grants to review it is usually for a new administration,” Judge GlockDirector of research and a senior association with the Manhattan Institute, a conservative tank of the mind, writing an email to the NPR.

Shortly after Trump was inaugured, the federal government drove all the grants, including nihan grants. But that’s freeze temporarily blocked by a federal judge.

Some researchers suspect NIH Federal enrollment Freeze is an attempt to seek rule.

Other observers argue interpretation.

“I don’t think this pause is a last run around the court order that blocks the first, greater variety of programs, including some different programs, including some different programs , including many distinct programs, including some different programs, including many different programs, including some different programs, including various programs, including many different program, including many different delay programs, “says Glock. “If the Trump administration is going on such a stop Federal enrollment notes forever, then have a good argument that an impoundment can also be stopped by a court, but a temporary stop of Federal enrollment The notifications seemed to be a common opportunity for review. “

Even some of the largest NIH supporters believe that the agency will benefit the changes, such as making the offering process more transparent. But some observers say that Trump administration method is more unpleasant and counter-productive.

“I think that they are systematically breaking the whole process where we fund scientific research for 80 years, and it is sad,” said one of the people familiar with the nuh process. “There is no question that the system is not perfect and can be improved. But the system can work well not to discuss the problem by blowing everything, which they do.”

Neither nuh nor the Department of Health and Teal Services, which is a part, immediately responded to the NPR request to comment.

It is unclear if freezes Federal enrollment Notifications are executed by other agencies. But acting is intensifying the fears of funding the NIH and among thousands of scientists who rely on the agency for funding.

Nuh hit the cuts of its workers, lost about 1,200 people so far. At the same time, the Trump administration is trying to enter the rate where the NIH pays The indirect cost of making medical research Of 15%, which is significantly lower at the rate paid by many institutions. Scientists say this can be cut into medical research. A federal Boston judge decides whether the cap can proceed.

Many scientists are afraid of moves are just the beginning of what will eventually bring a nih arrangement. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now leading HHS, in charge of the NIH, says it requires major reforms.

In addition, Dr. Jay BhattacharyaThe Stanford University Research President Trump is a named director of the NIH, the agency also criticized. Some of the Republican members of Congress and conservative mind tanks consider major NIH changes, including shipping most of the $ 48 billion used by primary agencies.