Lansing, Michigan – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has launched a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in a powerful attempt to protect the future of medical and public health research. Including 22 additional attorneys general, the court action questions the government’s recent decision to dramatically cut federal funding vital for medical research throughout the United States.
The fundamental problem stems from the administration’s unilateral reduction of “indirect cost” reimbursements that are very essential for the running operations of research facilities including utilities, infrastructure maintenance, academic wages, and laboratory maintenance. Although they have nothing to do with particular research initiatives, these expenses are essential for the daily operations of research centers and the ongoing development of new medical studies.
Usually negotiated between research institutions and the federal government, indirect expenses are negotiated and agreements that establish the reimbursable amounts required to maintain the research infrastructure of the institutions result. Suddenly, though, the NIH said on February 7 that it will cap these reimbursements at a flat rate of 15% across all institutions, therefore affecting the following business day, February 10. Many universities are struggling to meet this unexpected gap, well below the real expenses needed for sustaining cutting-edge research capability.
“This funding supports life saving research,” said Nessel. “These dangerous proposed cuts are indiscriminate and without purpose. They will cost jobs here in Michigan and will hamper tens of thousands of research projects – many of which are currently underway and focus on improving health outcomes and preventing death. I’m proud to lead this effort to restore this essential funding.”
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The lawsuit contends that the NIH’s actions go against particular congressional guidelines meant to safeguard research funds and violate the Administrative Procedure Act. Congress had approved laws that blocked similar government initiatives to dramatically reduce research reimbursements during President Trump’s first term. The coalition of attorneys general is now seeking a court order to prevent the NIH from implementing these severe cuts.
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Supporting a wide range of scientific investigations leading to significant discoveries including cancer treatments, DNA sequencing, and the evolution of MRI technology, the NIH is acknowledged as the main source of federal medical research funding in the United States. Moreover, many NIH-funded scientists have received Nobel Prizes for their scientific achievements.
The suggested cuts would remove almost $200 million in financing for research programs at top universities such Wayne State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan alone in Michigan. These cuts threaten not only the state’s leadership in biomedical research but also public health generally and medical progress made throughout the country.
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Supported by a varied collection of states including Arizona, California, Connecticut, and New York among others, the lawsuit—co-led by the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Illinois, and Michigan—was filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts. The court challenge emphasizes the general concern over the administration’s recent policy change and highlights a countrywide call to preserve vital financing supporting health and innovation.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for Massachusetts and can be found here.