NIH To Suspend Funds For Research Abroad As It Overhauls Policy, Report Says (nature.com)
- Reference: 0177242225
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/05/01/1858210/nih-to-suspend-funds-for-research-abroad-as-it-overhauls-policy-report-says
- Source link: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01361-z
> A forthcoming policy from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) will target - and at least temporarily stop -- [1]funding to laboratories and hospitals outside the United States , threatening thousands of global-health projects and international collaborations on topics such as emerging infectious diseases and cancer.
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> The NIH, the world's largest funder of biomedical research, plans to release the policy in the next week. Some agency staff members have already been instructed to hold funds for foreign institutions that are part of both new research grants and grants coming up for renewal, according to multiple agency employees who spoke to Nature under the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the press.
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01361-z
What a coincidence (Score:5, Insightful)
Just yesterday [1]I provided evidence [slashdot.org] the administraion was trying to cut NIH funding for research and was modded Troll. Today we see the administration is doing the same thing but this time it's for overseas funding.
Funny how those two go hand in hand. Wonder how many people will suffer and/or die because life saving research was stopped by the anti-science crowd.
[1] https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=23680133&cid=65344163#comments
Re: (Score:3)
> Just yesterday [1]I provided evidence [slashdot.org] the administraion was trying to cut NIH funding for research and was modded Troll. Today we see the administration is doing the same thing but this time it's for overseas funding. Funny how those two go hand in hand. Wonder how many people will suffer and/or die because life saving research was stopped by the anti-science crowd.
If research needs to be continued, we have to figure out a way for the billionaires to make money off of it. We're cutting funding for important things because we desperately need to have yet another tax cut for the billionaires. No one can explain why the richest people on Earth need a tax cut, but apparently it's the top priority of the current administration.
[1] https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=23680133&cid=65344163#comments
Re: (Score:2)
> If research needs to be continued, we have to figure out a way for the billionaires to make money off of it.
Billionaires already do make money off it. Why do you think pharma is such big business in the USA.
Re: (Score:2)
>> If research needs to be continued, we have to figure out a way for the billionaires to make money off of it.
> Billionaires already do make money off it. Why do you think pharma is such big business in the USA.
Apparently they aren't making enough or they would have insisted funding for research not be cut.
They tend to make their money off the back-end of research, when the results start to be sold. They may not be smart enough to realize that there won't be new revenue sources if there's no research up front to create them.
Great strategy! (Score:3, Funny)
1) Suspend your investment and involvement in in-progress medical research
2) Allow other countries to pick up the slack, leverage your past investment, and come up with new medical discoveries, treatments, and innovations.
3) Profit! Respect and admiration! Gratitude! Credibility! (All for the other countries that picked up where you left off).
Is America tired of all this winning yet?
Re:Great strategy! (Score:4, Insightful)
Don't forget all the researchers who will move overseas to take advantage of research opportunities that have dried up here. France, Germany and Belgium have all started programs to attract researchers away from US universities, and the EU is moving to establish programs to attract American researchers.
This of course is a huge boon to China's ongoing effort to attract science and technology expertise from the US.
Re: (Score:2)
> France, Germany and Belgium have all started programs to attract researchers away from US universities, and the EU is moving to establish programs to attract American researchers.
Canada too! [1]https://www.cbc.ca/news/health... [www.cbc.ca] So far we're only doing it at the provincial level, probably because our federal government was just elected so there will be a bit of a delay. But I'm fairly sure that Ottawa will be rolling out the welcome mat big-time in the coming weeks. Welcome American scientists, academics, doctors, etc!
[1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/us-scientists-canada-1.7502527
Re: (Score:3)
Does United States have some kind of “vote of no confidence” safety net for these type of unmitigated binfire situations? Some kind of “Liz Truss” type clause for when all politicians and even most of the general public can see “okay yeah that was a really dumb idea”. Or do you just have to plough on and watch it implode? It’s funny watching from afar, but I feel sorry for those affected.
Re:Great strategy! (Score:4, Insightful)
The president seems to think Isolationism will "make America great again" - but, if he succeeds, it's more likely the end result will be "make America mostly irrelevant outside of its own borders".
Re: (Score:2)
The investment loss is, in my opinion something that should really be resonating with people that are worried about reducing the federal budget, yet doesn't. Billions of dollars have been spent investing in government scientists, like those at NOAA, NASA, NIH, EPA, and other agencies. They have become highly skilled workers, trained and paid with taxpayer money starting in grad school. Firing them is a statement to the taxpayers that the administration doesn't care about their investment. On top of that,
Re: But where will I do my beagle puppy research? (Score:2)
Don't forget to never get another vaccination. Make sure all your family and friends never get one again either.
Re: (Score:2)
Nobody does. Rather than just complaining, what's your solution to vaccine testing?
Re: (Score:2)
1. Obvious solution is to have no solution. Just prohibit animal testing -> higher risk for the first human testers -> need to pay them "The Wages of Fear".
In this case, effectiveness can only be tested in the field, meaning in populations exposed to the disease. That's how we do anyway for HIV/AIDS vaccine development (hence the NIH and others having research programmes abroad).
2. Bodyoids (lab-grown, brainless bodies) [1]https://science.slashdot.org/s... [slashdot.org] Could be animal (puppies unable to suffer) in a
[1] https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/03/28/1933234/scientists-propose-bodyoids-to-address-medical-research-and-organ-shortage-challenges
Re: (Score:3)
I prefer human kids dying from smallpox than see your big sad eyed puppy fantasy animals hurt.