Massachusetts among 22 states suing Trump admin over NIH funding changes
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Harvard Medical School. Photo: Sergi Reboredo/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Massachusetts and 21 other states are suing the Trump administration to stop the feds from cutting National Institutes of Health funding.
Why it matters: Harvard University and MIT alone rely on hundreds of millions of dollars in NIH funding to advance medical research.
Catch up quick: The NIH announced a policy Friday that requires 85% of grant funding to go to direct research costs, not overhead.
- The new policy applies to new grant applications, as well as existing grants issued to universities.
Driving the news: The coalition filed the lawsuit Monday in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, naming the administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the NIH as defendants.
- The indirect costs covered by NIH grants include lab, faculty, infrastructure and utility expenses in biomedical research, said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
- The policy change could affect Massachusetts' standing as a leader in medical research, Campbell's office said.
- A federal judge later granted a temporary freeze.
What they're saying: "We will not allow the Trump administration to unlawfully undermine our economy, hamstring our competitiveness, or play politics with our public health," Campbell said in a statement.
The other side: "The United States should have the best medical research in the world," the NIH stated in its announcement Friday. "It is accordingly vital to ensure that as many funds as possible go towards direct scientific research costs rather than administrative overhead."
By the numbers: The NIH spent $35 billion in fiscal 2023 on grants across 2,500 universities.
- Nearly one-quarter, or $9 billion, went to overhead costs, the agency said.
Zoom in: Harvard used $404 million in NIH funds in fiscal 2024, using 69% for direct research costs, the Boston Business Journal reported, citing the NIH.
- The NIH singled out Harvard in its announcement. It stated 67 of 72 universities in an analysis said they'd accept research grants that don't cover any indirect costs, but that Harvard said it requires at least 15% overhead costs coverage.