pennstatehealthnews.org
www.bbc.com
www.psu.edu
It never was. The country has a weird, deeply religious connection to the display of physical suffering and health. Very sick people are seen as Christ-like in their suffering, while also helpless in their recovery; only a divine presence can change their course ("God's will"). No mention or praise of researchers, scientists, engineers, etc. who for hundreds of years have played such crucial roles in progressing humanity to this level of the medicinal mountain top. Again, to understand what these people actually do for us requires a lot of listening and learning; Joe-public has no interest in that as he can barely read an entire news article anymore. Most people have no idea what Salk or Fleming did. And they don't care.It's 2025 folks. Public health is no longer a priority.
at the risk of this turning into a test board thread (and there are some test board denizens posting) going to try and explain how an NIH grant works. A principle investigator (PI) is employed by a university or similar entity, being paid a salary by that university. PI applies for a grant to NIH, but in reality the university is the entity submitting the grant. The university has made multiple assurances and compliance steps while "routing the grant" an arduous process at the very end of the application process. The PI is successful and the university receives the grant NOT the PI. The university continues to pay the PI his university designated salary but some portion of it is covered by the grant and that number is never 100%. Say 20% so 20% of PI salary now coming out of NIH money and PI can dedicate 20% of his time to doing whatever was proposed in the grant. The university still controls the other 80% of his salary and time responsibilities. At the same time the university receives additional money as over head (technically Facilities and Administration, F&A) to administer the grant, This number is a standing agreement between university and NIH and usually in mid 50%. So if PI gets $100,000 grant university gets an additional $53,000. That money does NOT go to the PI. It supports building, utilities, maintenance, compliance, administration of grant, etc. Now if that number cut down to 15% going to put huge dent in university operating budget. Directors of NIH institutes do not decide what grants get funded, they are specifically not allowed and there are multiple layers of firewall between them and any funding decision. Fauci did not decide to fund gain of function research. He is not allowed to make decisions on extramural funding and there is not mechanisms for him to do so. And in his case, he has literally no expertise in corona virus biology so would not even be able to direct such nefarious research. Alas TLDRTrying to match the overhead administrative efficiency in the private sector . PIs and other unveristy administrations are peeling off money for their own pockets out of the grants.
NIH to cut billions from overheads in biomedical research
President Trump's administration has announced it will slash billions of dollars in overheads for grants in biomedical research as a part of broader cost-saving measures.
And as far as I'm concerned, these types own any negative ramifications. Too bad that such are not limited to only them.
Unfortunately the wave of folks who rail against science and healthcare are growing. The fact that we had a vaccine in less than a few years, let a lone decades, after COVID hit when it previously took us thousands of years to get to Salk is crazy. Miracle doesn't even begin to describe what that was. Billions died in plagues over the entire course of human civilization and no one could slow or stop it. For the first time in recorded civilization, our best could literally tell everyone, at the same time, what they needed to do to beat this thing collectively and then we got a rushed, effective vaccine to stop it cold in its tracks. And yet, a segment of the public resisted it and even went against it; spurred on by politics, stupidity, $$$, and social media.
grant recipients do not have any control over indirect costs. This go straight to university. But are based on negotiation between university and NIH on how much it costs to administer such a grant at that institutions. Including complying with many regulations mandated by federal laws.
Companies making billions of dollars and paying zero to little U.S. taxes seems ludicrous and worth revisiting too. Is this an incentive to build businesses? Yes. So, outrage at one thing, but not another where supporting research may cure cancer. Hey - maybe these companies could redirect their taxes (if ever paid) to fund university research? I mean, if ever there were a model of efficiency it’s paying CEO’s millions of dollars to run companies into the ground and find tax loopholes.
the over head is in no way absurd. it represents a public-private partnership to conduct research. The overhead does not offset 100% of university support costs, not even close. Imagine a grant to involves use of some type experimental animal system., University has to provide vivarium to house animals and staff to manage said facility. Indirects for that grant go to support the part that involves that particular project, but the university has already paid for the facility. Same for data systems, library, accounting, clinical lab etc to conduct the research. And there are all kinds of rules on what can and cannot be paid for in a research grant that basically obligates the university to support. But the ROI for this type research endeavor is very high, so scuttling it makes no sense to the larger economy.
Only if they don't spend money. If they're rich, they'll probably spend a lot of money. Can't avoid paying taxes if you're rich when they hammer you at the yacht brokerage firm, right?
Well those days will hopefully be over soon. Consumption taxes capture both the rich and the underground/illegal economies while leaving the middle class (what's left of it) w/ a full pay check and the opportunity to spend it as they see fit.
I finally got to speak to my son tonight about the proposed cuts . He is in a Medical Scientist Training Program . He echoes what you are stating pretty much word for word. Fortunately he is at a well funded institution so the PIs are not in panic mode .
If you love our current tax system/code/enforcement - more power to you. I don't, and would like to see something else tried. The IRS is unneeded and needs to go away - all of it. A Federal Income Tax is, and always has been unconstitutional anyway.
The U.S. spends more on research than any other country and is only behind Israel & S Korea as a % of GDP.
I'm sure universities spend a lot of money trying to get grants. Maybe too much on admin vs research but I'm not an expert.
I don't think anybody is railing against science and healthcare. Some are just challenging the way we go about it.
