Nationwide Protests Erupt Over Trump Administration's Science Funding Cuts

Protesters decry NIH funding caps, layoffs, and censorship, warning of dire consequences for medical research and public health.

• Protests were held across the U.S., including in Washington, D.C., Houston, San Francisco, and Boston, against the Trump administration's cuts to federal science funding and research programs.
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) implemented a policy capping indirect research costs at 15%, significantly reducing funds for overhead expenses like lab maintenance and staff salaries.
• Scientists warn that the funding cuts threaten critical research on diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, and ALS, delaying clinical trials and jeopardizing future medical breakthroughs.
• A federal judge temporarily blocked the NIH funding cap policy, citing potential chaos and harm to research institutions, as lawsuits from 22 states proceed.
• Speakers at rallies emphasized the broader impact of science funding cuts, including job losses, economic instability, and reduced public health preparedness for outbreaks like bird flu and measles.

15 Articles

Washington Post RFI Boston Globe The San Francisco Standard The Hill San Francisco Chronicle Mother Jones San Francisco Chronicle Scientific American Nature New Scientist The Philadelphia Inquirer Houston Chronicle Science News