A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s plan to slash research funding paid out by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The plan would limit how the NIH pays out universities and research institutes for indirect costs, such as equipment, maintenance, and support staff. Twenty-two state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the plan, claiming it would have an immediate and devastating effect on research programs. The lawsuit alleges that NIH violated the Administrative Procedure Act and ignored provisions from Congress designed to prevent changing indirect cost rates. The judge granted a temporary restraining order, preventing the implementation of the new policy, and set a hearing for February 21. Critics of the plan, including scientists and universities, argue that the cuts to indirect costs would stymie research efforts and have long-lasting negative effects on the nation’s research infrastructure. The University of California system, for example, stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars annually due to the changes in NIH funding. Proponents of the plan, on the other hand, argue that indirect costs are out-of-control overhead expenses and that the new policy will lead to more efficient use of funds. The outcome of the legal battle and the potential impact on biomedical research funding remain uncertain.
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