Arizona Universities Brace for Devastating Medical Research Cuts Under Trump’s Proposed Plan

If the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to medical research grants proceed, Arizona’s research landscape could face significant upheaval. A temporary court ruling has paused these cuts, which threaten over $250 million in funding vital for the state’s universities, research institutions, and companies.

Currently, Arizona benefits from nearly $495 million in active grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The potential loss would severely impact ongoing research, with a coalition of 22 state attorneys general, including Arizona’s AG Kris Mayes, arguing that halting funding would impede advances in medical research.

The proposed budget cuts focus on “indirect costs,” essential for maintaining research infrastructure. These encompass expenses such as laboratory upkeep, staffing, and administrative fees. Typically, the NIH permits indirect costs averaging 28%, but the new guidelines would narrow that cap to just 15%. This change would effectively halve the available indirect funding for crucial research.

Just hours after the lawsuit was filed on February 10, a federal judge in Massachusetts, Angel Kelley, ordered a halt to the new regulations. This stay remains in effect, and a hearing is set for February 21 to address the matter further.

An analysis of NIH data indicates that nearly 80% of the 754 active grants in Arizona have indirect costs exceeding the new limit. In total, this represents around $254 million in jeopardy. The University of Arizona would be particularly hard-hit, with over 300 of its 376 grants at risk, totaling $126 million. Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation, Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, emphasized the potential loss of more than $40 million in research funding, crucial for maintaining the country’s technological edge.

Arizona State University could see similar repercussions, with 162 of its 194 grants having indirect costs above the threshold, endangering nearly $56 million. Northern Arizona University also faces cuts to 19 of its 22 grants, which account for almost $11 million of its funding.

The grants under scrutiny support critical research efforts, including studies on Alzheimer’s treatments, asthma, reversing hearing loss, and developing methods to prevent cancer in Indigenous populations. Spokespeople from the state universities are monitoring the situation but have not provided further detailed comments following initial statements.

Additionally, the Mayo Clinic in Arizona is at risk, with 39 of its 47 grants exceeding 15% in indirect costs, bringing $15.6 million of nearly $24 million in grants into uncertainty. Other institutions like St. Joseph’s Hospital, the Translational Genomics Research Institute, and Banner Health may also be affected by these funding changes.