NIH funding is critical for Philadelphia-area research institutes. It’s threatened under a Trump administration freeze.
Major academic research institutions and medical schools in the Philadelphia region are allotted $1.7 billion in NIH funding.
Philadelphia medical researchers and the institutions where they work scrambled Tuesday to understand how the Trump administration’s temporary freeze on federal grants would affect thousands of research projects on everything from cancer vaccines to rare disease treatments that are supported by more than $1 billion in federal funding.
The freeze on federal grants is intended to give the administration a chance to review whether spending is in line with the president’s priorities. Programs such as Medicare and Social Security, which provide funds directly to individuals, are exempt from the freeze, White House officials said.
» READ MORE: Trump’s sudden threat to halt federal funds spurs confusion in Pa. and N.J. and sends officials scrambling
A federal judge temporarily blocked the order until Monday, but only after the announcement sparked widespread confusion in Philadelphia and across the country, coming without clear guidance to help organizations understand how the freeze would affect their operations. Also unclear: how long the freeze could last, which programs will be affected, and even whether it is legal.
In a university-wide email, University of Pennsylvania interim president J. Larry Jameson wrote that the university is unsure how a number of recently announced Trump policies will play out, but said the school is monitoring the situation and reviewing its own policies.
He said the school’s financial outlook is “sound” and encouraged the Penn community to “continue its essential research and other work.” He asked staff to reach out to their deans if a funding agency asks them to pause research.
Rutgers University told researchers to continue working unless directed to stop by a Rutgers grant specialist, and to alert administrators if they receive a stop-work order from a federal sponsor. The university, which received $344 million in NIH grants, has a contingency plan to deal with any pause in payment, according to a memo from J. Michael Gower, Rutgers’ chief financial officer, and Michael E. Zwick, senior vice president for research.
“During these uncertain times, know that the university remains profoundly committed to its public mission of research, teaching, and service, and to our students’ success,” Gower and Zwich wrote. They did not elaborate on contingency plans.
A spokesperson from Drexel University said the school is “closely monitoring this dynamic situation and will be communicating with its community as more information is available.”
Here’s a look at how at least $1.7 billion in NIH funding is allotted to major academic research institutions and medical schools in the Philadelphia region.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with comment from Penn’s interim president.