Cnn
B (b (b (
Scientists, faculty and staff at Emuri University received a worrying email on Saturday: Announcing funding caps from the National Institute of Health means scientists and their labs tighten their belts at US research institutes. Will need to be done.
For a school based in Atlanta, an important research university specializes in health and medicine-which includes drugs to prevent and treat cancer, vaccines and HIV-a new federal cap in a year Million 140 million Financial support will be reduced.
The memo said, “To tell it directly, this development can affect almost every educational unit of Emory, which includes our scientific research, clinical trials, patient care and other academic acquisition quickly and long -term. Both results. ”
This is one of the far -reaching effects of President Donald Trump’s clean executive measures, which threatens to slow down or stop health and science research in the United States, which threatens Americans’ welfare and this country There is a risk of falling back. On critical progress.
In many federal agencies who fund or use scientific research.
To understand the effects of universities that study the level of progress, their funding agencies reduce their budget.
In its latest shock – and who encouraged EMori staff and researchers to email – the Trump administration made a wider side on Friday night, causing research institutes to meet their costs from which the government Labs, equipment, administrators and reviewing boards can be charged to maintain that they need. Modern education of the country.
Twenty -two states announced Monday that they were prosecuted against the Trump administration for “trying to eliminate grant funds illegally” in research institutes. CNN has reached the Health and Human Services and the White House for comments.
“These are funds that are used literally to help maintain light at the University,” said Katie Edward, who directed the Mutual Violence Research Laboratory at Michigan University. “Without enough funding, I don’t know how many universities will continue to guide research institutes all over the world, very clearly.”
A White House official defended the administration’s actions, adding that he was “auditing” what was coming out of the federal funding door.
The official said, “Assuming that this work is not bullying … or nothing is malicious, we are practicing audit.” “I think there is a sense of concern here, but it is not an anti -science administration.”
The federal government provides about 40 % of funds of basic research conducted in the United States, According to National Science Foundation; The pulling of this funding pipeline will develop not only to the universities of the United States but also to cancer research, climate science and more.
Beyond universities, the federal government itself Modern science of funds and auxiliary science Researchers in NIH have been told that they cannot hire new trainees to help run their education, cannot review scientific papers or write comments in medical journals and their clinical trials Can’t advertise for the recruitment of participants, according to the details of internal communication. By cnn
Edwards, at the University of Michigan, hire close to 50 research assistants. Its work is focused on preventing sexual violence among backward youth, including LGBTQ and Transgender Kids. Over the past two weeks, a grant proposal has gone beyond review in NIH, there is no guidance about its fate. He was asked to stop work on another research, though the order was eventually turned through a court order.
She says confusion and uncertainty has been catastrophic.
“We have an interference study that aims to prevent depression and suicide and other negative consequences between Trans Youth, and it will be extremely dangerous for us to stop in the middle of the clinical trial. I mean, literally, know it. Can come.
Along with the funding deductions, federal agencies are receiving a large-scale emails, including staff-scientists, in which they are being invited to leave the job for the so-called purchase. In response to the question whether they can get another job and still pay for a pause, the email encouraged him: “More and more American prosperity is encouraging people that They move from low productivity jobs to private products.
A health researcher told CNN, “So I will only do my low productive NIH work, which prevents American prosperity.”
A survey developed by Public Health Researchers to document the results of Trump’s executive measures has produced more than 3,000 reactions. About 80 % of the survey respondents said they received a direct federal fund.
Another dangerous effect of measures: Some health -related research labs can be shut down – labs that monitor harmful infections that may be transformed into the next global pandemic.
Another early -stage safety study, which was examining vaginal rings to prevent HIV and pregnancy in women in South Africa, suddenly eliminated, which researchers contact 17 study participants. Forced
“We had to call these participants immediately and ask them to come to the clinic,” said Leila Mansour, a senior scientist at the AIDS Program of Research in Research in South Africa.
“We had to remove these rings, though they were only in trial for a few weeks, when they actually signed up for a trial and used a color for a month,” said Mansoor.
He says the emergency evacuation violated the study participants’ confidence, and surpassed years of work to reach the place in the trial. Mansour said he was looking for alternative sources of funding but did not know if he would be able to keep his doors open.
“As a result of the political agenda, the result of researchers and science is, in fact, the only suicide attack,” he said.
One of the fears spread by the science community is that neutral scientific works will be affected by politics – to the extent that projects can be selected to fund whether researchers support Trump.
“We want to be able to continue this unmanaged work,” said a coastal researcher working with Noaa. “People are worried that if you want to get financial support, you will be seen not only sympathetic but also as a supporter of the (Trump administration).”
Independent scientific boards that advise federal agencies about the rules they craft have also been affected.
Last week, all members of the Scientific Advisory Board and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, two independent panels that suggest the Environmental Protection Agency, were dismissed – something that happened during Trump’s first term.
EPA spokesman Molly Waselio said in a statement that the decision to “reset” the membership of the two committees is “trying to change the politics of SAB and Kasak through the previous administration.”
Jeremy Sarnat, the recent chair of the Environmental Health Professor and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, said that he had never seen politics within the committees.
“I am not a politician. He told CNN that I am just a scientist for air pollution. “I am not interested in his politics.”
With the dismissal of the board, it throws its work into the limbo on lead and nitrogen oxides, as well as its coming work on the ozone.
“Each of these pollution will be delayed, while the administration will get new members for these committees,” said Sarnat.
The membership of these independent advisory groups is facing volatility from the administration. After Biden EPA Administrator Michael Reagan took over Biden in 2021, members of the two committees added and replaced them.
Independent committees are important because the rules that rule the work of the EPA require the use of “best available science”, a scientist, who served in the Biden EPA and previous administration During the course, both were sitting on boards. This science produces rules and regulations on several chemicals, pollution and planets’ emissions.
“They exist as a part of a good government and a good scientific process,” he said. “This is really about integrity and the protection of the public.”
Free said he was worried about what he had done in the first weeks of the Trump administration, and he suggested that unlike the previous Republican or Democratic Presidents, it “looks beyond the law.”
“They are now very aggressive. Free said they were either trying to advance science or censored it.
CNN’s Neha Mukherjee participated in the report.
