Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Attorney General Andrea Campbell and 21 other attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over its plan to cut funding for the National Institutes of Health.
The attorneys general want to block the Trump Administration's plan to cut indirect cost reimbursements for medical and public health researchers. The Trump Administration announced the cuts last week to help reduce overhead costs at research institutions that cover things like buildings, utilities, and lab operations. The plan caps all indirect costs at 15%.
In a press conference with other attorneys general, Campbell said these rates are significantly less than what is needed to fund advanced research.
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"Whether the President believes it or not, funding that covers lab costs, faculty, and even graduate students is a critical part of the research process," Campbell said. "They are the wheels that keep the trains on track. Without these indirect cost rates, that train grinds to a halt."
Campbell said President Trump tried to pass similar cuts in 2017, but a Republican congress blocked the move. She said it's important to keep this funding in place.
"The Federal Government, through the National Institutes of Health, is the largest funder of biomedical research in the world," Campbell said. "They provide more than $35 billion annually to support cutting-edge research that saves and extends lives making the future better for our residents, especially for our children and our elders."
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Massachusetts ranks first in the nation for per capita dollars awarded by the NIH, which adds up to $3.5 billion in 2024 alone. The funding helps local institutions like the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
WBZ's Nichole Davis (@nicholedavis.bsky.social) reports.