Protesters against planned National Institutes of Health funding cuts
The Trump administration’s push to slash funding at the National Institutes of Health has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
My mother has been cleaning out the attic in their Oak Ridge house and very reasonably decided that my sisters and I should become the stewards of the memorabilia from our childhoods and early adulthoods. The box she recently mailed me included my first scientific publication, from my undergraduate summer internship at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Mammalian Genetics Section (the “Mouse House”) in 2002.
Over 20 years later, I am a senior research scientist and author on 60+ scientific publications mostly related to understanding how genetic variation contributes to different human diseases.
Even before I received that box in the mail, I had been reflecting on why I chose a career in scientific research – mainly because, since January, I am no longer sure if and how I will be able to continue pursuing it. Federally funded scientific research is being attacked and dismantled by the administration of President Donald Trump, threatening the entire scientific enterprise. The situation is dire, and I urge you to join me in staying informed and speaking out against these existential threats to science.
A quick recap: The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the biggest funder of biomedical research in the country, has stopped or significantly slowed reviewing grants (mine included) and posting new funding opportunities. Many already awarded grants are being terminated. Websites with critical public health data have been deleted. The administration has announced a plan to reduce the percentage of grant funds that can go to essential functions like maintaining facilities and hiring critical support staff (also called “indirect costs”). Initial layoffs across science, health, and environmental agencies have been followed by even more drastic purges, leading to loss of critical functions and expertise. While some of these actions are being fought in court, they are already having chilling and devastating effects on higher education and scientific research, with several universities announcing hiring freezes and some pausing or reversing graduate student admissions.
Similar dynamics are also at play with the National Science Foundation (NSF), another key federal funder of scientific research.
In 2024, Tennessee received $819 million in NIH awards supporting almost 10,000 jobs and $2.2 billion in total economic activity, with the University of Tennessee system and Oak Ridge Associated Universities among the top NIH-funded institutions in the state.
Federal research funding at universities across the state and nation creates the training opportunities for the scientists and clinicians who ultimately come back to communities to work in research, health care, and industry.
Scientific research leads to better prevention and therapies for the diseases with the top mortality rates in the state, including cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Drug companies rely on the basic science research conducted at universities and other research institutions, driven by federal funding.
All this is at risk of collapsing if we stay on the trajectory the current administration has set.
So, what can we do? First, we should share with our communities why science matters – for everyone.
Second, we should call our elected representatives to voice our concerns and ensure they are voting and advocating on our behalf. The 5calls website or app makes this relatively easy.
Third, if you are able and willing, find ways to bring our voices together into collective action. I helped organize a local Stand Up for Science rally on March 7, part of a nationwide series of events to raise awareness of these threats to science, as “science is for everyone.” More than 250 people gathered in Nashville as part of the Tennessee event.
East Tennessee has a rich history of scientific and technical innovation, including at the heart of Oak Ridge. I feel fortunate to have grown up in Oak Ridge with strong teachers and mentors who helped shape my path to a career in genetic research. I implore you to help ensure that path – and the scientific careers it leads to – remains open for generations to come.
Sarah Nelson, MPH, PhD, is a senior research scientist in Seattle studying the genetic causes of complex health conditions.