Dear Dr. Memoli:
We write to express our appreciation for the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) longstanding commitment to funding scientific research that advances medical breakthroughs. NIH’s support has been instrumental in fostering innovation, improving patient outcomes, and sustaining the biomedical research enterprise, making the US the global powerhouse in medical innovation. We recognize the importance of ensuring that federal research dollars are used efficiently and effectively to maximize their impact. However, we are deeply concerned about the recently announced policy imposing a 15% cap on indirect cost recovery for NIH grants.1 Given the far-reaching implications of this change, we respectfully urge NIH to rescind this directive and instead work collaboratively with us, our colleagues, and the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop a solution that balances transparency, efficiency, and sustainability.
The collateral damage of this policy, if implemented, will be profound and generational, reshaping the future of scientific progress in ways that cannot be easily undone. Beyond its immediate financial strain, the policy introduces significant procedural and structural issues that undermine the integrity of federal research funding. Below, we outline the specific concerns with the supplemental guidance and its broader implications.
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