Action Needed: NIH Funding Cuts Could Impact Galactosemia Research

Please read an important message from our doctors and researchers about the NIH Research Grant Cuts

University indirect costs* awarded as part of NIH research grants are currently under attack from Washington DC and may be dramatically cut on very short notice. This presents an immediate and existential threat to all biomedical research at non-profit universities in the US, like the ones where we work. To be clear, the announcement makes it sound like universities are just wasting this money, but that has not been our lived experience from decades “in the trenches.” Among other things, these costs pay for:

• The Institutional Review Board, IRB, that reviews all human subjects studies to ensure the safety and privacy of all study participants,
• The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, IACUC, that reviews all vertebrate animal studies to ensure the humane treatment of animals used in research,
• The Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHSO) that ensures our laboratories are safe places to work,
• The university and medical school library systems, that give us access to a wide variety of medical journals through university subscriptions,
• The cost of maintaining the buildings where our laboratories are housed,
• Much, much more.

No system is perfect, and we all support the idea of improved efficiency, but the current proposed 15% cap and immediate time frame would be devastating for most US research universities and hospitals.

The situation is dire, and we fear not only for the future of galactosemia research in the US, but also for all other university-based biomedical research in the US, including studies to improve understanding and treatments for cancer, heart disease, autism, Alzheimer’s, and more.

Please help protect biomedical research in the US. Reach out to congressional leaders and your state representatives and senators in Washington, DC. Make your voice heard!

Here is the contact information for relevant congressional leaders:

• Senator Bill Cassidy, (LA), Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (this is the Senate committee that oversees NIH). 455 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC. 20510, Tel: (225) 929-7711 Fax: (225) 383-3768
• Senator Bernard Sanders, (VT), Ranking Member, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. https://www.sanders.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/, 332 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510, Tel: 802-862-0697 Fax: 802-860-6370
• Representative Brett Guthrie, Chair, House Committee on Energy and Commerce (which oversees NIH), 2161 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515, Tel: (202) 225-3501 Fax: (202) 226-2019
• Representative Frank Pallone, Jr., Ranking Member, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, 2107 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, Tel: (202) 225-4671 Fax: (202) 225-9665

Here is a link to look up the contact information for your local congressional representatives: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

Thank you!

Dr. Judy Fridovich-Keil, Dr. Gerry Berry, Dr. Nancy Potter, and  Dr. Kent Lai

*Indirect costs, also known as facilities and administrative (F&A) costs, are expenses that support research but cannot be directly attributed to a specific project, such as building maintenance, utilities, and administrative support. These costs help sustain the institution’s infrastructure and are typically reimbursed at a negotiated rate.

Editors note: You can use this template to contact your representative:  NIH Advocacy. Check out the Galactosemia Foundation’s social media for additional information on how you can help.