I wanted to take a moment and share some positive news emerging from Washington, D.C. as we enter the waning days of summer and look towards the start of the new academic year.
As I’ve described previously, proposals to dramatically reduce funding at the National Institutes of Health and efforts to cap indirect cost recovery for federal research remain two serious challenges facing WashU. However, I’m encouraged by recent developments among a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators who are standing in support of NIH and the importance of university-based research.
On July 31, the Senate committee responsible for funding federal agencies approved a proposed budget of $47.2 billion for NIH – a nearly 3 percent increase above the current level and almost 70% above the White House’s request for NIH in the upcoming federal fiscal year. This is a position WashU and many in the higher education community have advocated for over the past several months.
Additionally, the Senate continues to block the administration from developing or modifying their approach to funding Facilities and Administration (F&A) costs while they review an effort by the Joint Association Group on Indirect Cost (JAG) to develop an alternative proposal. For those not aware, the JAG effort was organized by several higher education association groups and many others around the country in response to the administration’s efforts to cap F&A indirect costs at 15%. The JAG effort culminated in the proposed Financial Accountability in Research (FAIR) model unveiled in July.
I am proud that WashU was among a handful of institutions that lent expertise to help inform the JAG’s final product, and I believe the FAIR model will meet the Administration’s goal of increasing transparency while ensuring all universities continue to be responsible stewards of taxpayer funded research. We endorse this effort and are working with Congress and OMB to support its implementation.
I also want to thank senators – including Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Susan Collins, and the Chair of the Labor, Health, and Human Services Subcommittee, Senator Shelley Moore Capito – for acknowledging the importance of NIH funding and the JAG’s strong work to organize the community towards identifying a workable alternative to the current F&A model.
There is a long way to go before funding that supports NIH becomes law, including continued negotiations with the U.S. House and the President. Our Medical School and Danforth colleagues continue to face many challenges at NIH and other agencies. WashU will continue engaging with the White House and Congress towards a mutually beneficial outcome, and one that funds a robust budget around science and research, and ideally aligns with the JAG recommendations and the FAIR model.