Three scientists speak about what it’s like to have research funding cut by the Trump administration

The reduction in funding for American universities and research by the Trump administration has caused concern and distress among many scientists. Nearly 800 grants at the National Institutes of Health, which has a $47 billion budget for medical research, have been cut, with discussions of a potential 40% cut to the overall NIH budget. On The Conversation Weekly podcast, three scientists, two from the U.S. and one from South Africa, share their experiences of having their funding cut by the Trump administration.

Upon learning that her $5 million grant had been terminated, Sunghee Lee, a research professor at the University of Michigan, was shocked. Her project on Alzheimer’s disease risk factors across different racial and ethnic groups was ended due to the administration’s focus on cutting diversity, equity, and inclusion studies in federal research funding. Brady West, another researcher at the University of Michigan, faced similar challenges when access to a federal research data center was withdrawn for his project on health disparities among individuals with different sexual identities.

Glenda Gray, a professor in South Africa leading research on finding an HIV vaccine, also experienced setbacks as NIH-funded research grants were suspended. The termination of a $46 million project on experimental HIV vaccines and restrictions on spending in South Africa have significantly impacted HIV research efforts.

The reduction in funding not only affects individual researchers but also delays important scientific progress. The implications of these cuts on research and knowledge generation are substantial, as highlighted by the experiences of Sunghee Lee, Brady West, and Glenda Gray on The Conversation Weekly podcast.