Overview

• The leaked draft proposes reducing NIH's $47 billion budget by over 40% and consolidating its 27 institutes into eight, eliminating four.
• Courts have blocked earlier cost-cutting measures, but litigation over canceled grants and broader funding changes continues.
• Former NIH director Francis Collins cited an 'untenable' environment under the Trump administration, including restrictions on speech and halted research activities, as reasons for his recent retirement.
• Concerns grow over a potential 'reverse brain drain,' with surveys indicating many U.S. researchers are considering moving abroad due to funding instability.
• Critics argue the cuts could jeopardize America's leadership in biomedical research, risking economic and scientific losses akin to missing opportunities like the Human Genome Project.