A threat to research for the public good

A message from university leaders on National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s announced reduction in how it would provide funding to schools like UW–Madison for the expenses associated with doing grant-funded scientific and medical research. Update: A temporary restraining order was granted in the case of 22 states, including Wisconsin, filing suit against the NIH and its 15% funding cap on indirect costs. The court action blocks the changes. A hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 21.

Important NIH Update: Indirect Cost Rate Cap

We want to make you aware of an important change announced by National Institutes of Health on Friday, Feb. 7. The NIH has implemented a standardized indirect cost (IDC) rate of 15% across all NIH grants, replacing individually negotiated rates. This applies to both new grants and existing grants retroactively to the date of issuance of this guidance.

Feb. 3 updates to federal funding pause

There continues to be a great degree of upheaval at the federal level, even in the last few days, that has a direct impact on our research enterprise. A significant positive development came Friday evening in the form of a temporary restraining order (TRO) related to the Jan. 27 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum that said that federal agencies cannot pause funding obligations while the review is ongoing.