We are Oregon scientists - NIH cuts will hurt all Oregonians
We are researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, working every day to inspire new treatments by learning how our bodies age, fight infections, and develop cancer, heart disease, neurological conditions or mental health disorders.
The facts are clear. Leading edge research done here in Oregon saves lives, and in the process, it grows our economy and creates jobs for Oregonians. But now, recent changes in federal policy are putting biomedical research at dire risk.
We love our work because it is fascinating and allows us to help people live longer, healthier lives. We all know someone who fought with diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia, or serious childhood infections. We have friends or family with ADHD or anxiety, or who struggle with suicidality. Treatments for these critically ill people were developed at universities like ours and millions of lives have been saved as a result.
Most of our research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, a federal agency and largest funder of biomedical research in the world. This commitment — supported for decades by both Democrats and Republicans — is directly responsible for positioning the United States as the premier country for research.
In Oregon alone, the NIH provides hundreds of millions of dollars each year for research, which directly supports more than 5,000 jobs. Half of OHSU’s research budget, around $300 million per year, comes from the NIH. For every $1 the NIH spends, $2.46 of economic activity is created according to a recent study. That means NIH funding in Oregon generates almost $1 billion every year — a great return on investment for taxpayers.
By law, our findings are openly shared with the public. This ensures that discoveries spread quickly and inspire the development of new treatments in the pharmaceutical industry, and inform public health policy.
For example, at OHSU, Gleevec was discovered as a breakthrough drug for certain kinds of leukemia through fundamental NIH-funded research right here in Oregon. Gleevec has saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Many drug treatments are carefully tested at OHSU though NIH-funded clinical trials. In fact, over 100 studies testing new cancer treatments alone are happening right now at OHSU.
OHSU is Oregon's largest biomedical research institution and serves the entire state through its research, health care, and teaching missions. This means that, in addition to biomedical discoveries, we are also training the next generation of scientists. The entire U.S. biotechnology industry, a powerhouse much envied by other nations, depends on NIH-funded research and training within universities like ours.
This is why we were shocked to learn last month that across-the-board cuts to congressionally approved NIH funding for biomedical research were ordered, and over 1,000 NIH employees were fired. The cuts claimed to stop NIH funds from going to “waste, fraud and abuse.” This is false. The funds are used for paying non-research staff like custodial, maintenance and office employees, and research necessities like laboratory infrastructure and shared equipment — all of which are essential for our research.
Indiscriminately taking funding away for critical research infrastructure is akin to asking a mechanic to fix your car without a shop or any tools — plainly impossible. While the courts have intervened to block these cuts for now, there is a risk that the federal government may be turning away from our nation’s longstanding commitment to innovation.
In addition, arbitrary and thoughtless roadblocks to grant review and distribution of funds are currently halting all future science funding by the NIH.
Make no mistake, this will have devastating consequences: clinical trials will be dropped; years-long research projects will die in their tracks; and the training of a generation of scientists will be severely damaged. Many research laboratories operate on thin margins and depend on the assurance of grant disbursement. If no action is taken now, the losses will be immediate and profound, including inability to sustain jobs for Oregon scientists or their support staffs, or maintain important research infrastructure. These cuts will cripple biomedical research and drug development in the U.S. We should be investing more in science, not less.
If you believe in the value of biomedical research, have a family member in need of medical care, or care about the leading role of the U.S. in driving innovation, please contact your elected representatives and tell them why we should recommit to our nation’s investment in science. Talk to your friends and family to help spread the word about how harmful these cuts would be for our health, economy, and future. And, we hope to see you at local Stand Up for Science events on March 7.
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Frederick (Erick) Gallun, PhD, FASA, FASHA | he/him/his
Dear list,the brutal reality is that the US administration has declared war on its democratic institutions, the legal system, the media, the checks and balances system, social security, science and humanities, and above all it (and that is not Trump alone, but equally the "masterminds" of the heritage foundation) declared war on the values shared by the so-called free world. - Is this exaggerated?Who could blame young US scientists to consider their future in Canada, Britain, the Far East, or in the EU?Sorry for being off-topic. I wholeheartedly support and applaud to scientists standing up and rally, wherever there is need to do so. But it seems to happen in a strange atmosphere as it becomes evident that the protection of democratic rights is crumbling. And the country where this is happening is not a small republic on the Balkan.Sorry also for having no suggestions for how to do better service to young researchers that getting rid of the current US admin ASAP. The whole world will hold its breath what the next US administration will look like and whether they will be able to restore the - in my view - inevitable brain drain that will hurt the US hearing sciences in the meantime, I am afraid.Slava UkraineGunterAm Di., 18. März 2025 um 05:29 Uhr schrieb Sarah Creel <000001009817b89f-dmarc-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:Hi Perry,I'm so sorry that this is such a stressful time for all of us. It's hard enough starting out in science without the entire edifice crumbling around one's ears.I think that what's going on right now is that there is a sense of science solidarity: scientists are fighting for scientists across the board, not just in auditory science. I've been to and seen lots of people at Stand Up for Science rallies across the country. People are pelting their elected representatives with demands not to silence science. I've also seen (and responded to) calls to write supportive notes to program officers, SROs, etc. at funding agencies who are currently under huge amounts of stress and anxiety. There is HUGE concern amongst all these groups about what this is going to do to the next generation of scientists.One big way that more senior folks can help more junior folks is to do our best to make sure funding opportunities stay in place. Without that, the support web for PhDs is really not there. So I think a lot of people are focusing their energies on advocating for maintaining NIH and NSF.I would love to see suggestions on Auditory list or other places for additional ways to advocate for junior scientists and for science generally.Hang in there and please know that we want you here.SarahOn Sun, Mar 16, 2025 at 9:23 PM T. T. Perry <trevortperry@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:Hi Auditory List,I'm a hearing scientist in America where science and s cientists are under extremely heavy attack, Orban style. Yet I've seen almost no statements from senior leaders in our field defending science and early career scientists. Perhaps I'm in a bubble and just haven't witnessed these statements myself.Where are the leaders of our field and why are they so quiet? Does auditory science have a future in America? Are "mid" and "late stage" career people just looking to comply and save themselves?What have you heard lately?Sincerely,Perrythey/them