According to reports by The New York Times, Reuters and other media on June 10 local time, the Trump administration has been tightening control over the U.S. medical research funding system in recent months, resulting in a significant cut in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget. Even Republican lawmakers have criticized this, saying it will put the U.S. behind China in research on diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and cancer.

In May this year, the Trump administration proposed cutting the NIH budget by $18 billion, which accounts for nearly 40% of the agency's total budget. On June 10 local time, NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins repeatedly stated at the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing that this proposal was "the result of cooperation between Congress and the government," but refused to elaborate on how the budget cuts would affect the agency.

Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, The New York Times

At the hearing, the proposal received criticism from both Republican and Democratic senators. Susan Collins, a Republican senator from Maine, said that this reduction proposal was "unsettling" and would hinder the development of effective treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and type 1 diabetes, putting the U.S. at risk of "falling behind China."

Tammy Baldwin, a Democratic senator from Wisconsin, cited evidence showing that NIH had reduced medical grants to universities and research institutions by billions of dollars compared to the same period last year. She questioned: "I want to know who is withholding these funds? Is it you? Is it the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)? Or is it the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB)? "

Dr. Francis Collins responded that the decision to stop so-called "politicized science" related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was his own, but the cuts to research funding for scientific institutions such as Harvard University were "decisions made jointly with the government."

In recent months, NIH has abruptly terminated more than 1,300 research grants and delayed funding for over 1,000 other projects. On June 9 local time, dozens of NIH employees expressed in an open letter that these actions were based on ideological preferences and without consulting researchers.

The letter pointed out that the termination of these funds "wasted years of hard work" and placed patients' health at risk, with multiple clinical trials being interrupted, medications stopped suddenly, or participants left with unmonitored devices, disregarding their safety.

Dr. Francis Collins stated that he has established an appeal process for scientists to appeal funding cuts, and NIH will review these appeals within weeks.

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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514494590402036251/

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