Trump cuts on health research forcing scientists to look beyond US

THE WHITE HOUSE'S move last week to reduce science funding — which could affect grants at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation, and other organizations — has left US-based scientists and researchers rethink about their future.

The Trump administration on Friday (May 2) proposed a $163 billion cut to the federal budget that would sharply reduce spending in areas including health, education, and housing next year, while increasing outlays for defense and border security.

The proposed budget requests $93.8 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services - a cut of $33.3 billion, or 26.2 per cent - from this year's budget of $127 billion.

It includes a cut of $18 billion, or 40 per cent of the money allocated to the NIH, leaving it with $27 billion.

The Trump administration wants to cut funding altogether for four of the agency's 27 institutes and centers while consolidating others into five new ones.

Cutting NIH funding threatens research into cures for serious diseases, puts lives at risk, and delays diagnoses, treatments and cures, said George Vradenburg, chairman of UsAgainstAlzheimer, patient advocacy group.

The proposal almost halves the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) budget by almost $3.6 billion, leaving it with a $4 billion budget.

The cuts follow a plan announced in March by secretary for Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seeking to reshape federal public health agencies by cutting 10,000 employees and centralizing some functions of the food and drugs administration (FDA), CDC and others under his purview.

This has left US-based scientists and researchers, working in areas related to health, look for other places to further their research. Many are now looking abroad.

The University of Washington, a top public university for biomedical research, has now imposed measures like hiring freeze, travel restrictions, class size reductions and furloughs, NBC News reports.

Some departments are pushing students to graduate sooner than expected.

Other institutions have made similarly drastic moves, according to court filings in lawsuits that aim to thwart the cuts.

Washington is one of 16 states suing the NIH and HHS over its slowdown in grant funding.

Meanwhile, sensing an opportunity, European Union has launched a drive to attract scientists to Europe.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a commitment of $566 million to attract US talent and “make Europe a magnet for researchers.”