Council Opposes NIH Funding Cuts

This week, Councilors Durkan, Breadon, and Fitzgerald offered a resolution to denounce funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in both Boston and Massachusetts.

The NIH plays a crucial role in funding medical and public health research that fights to end diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer, which impact millions of people every year. However, recent proposed cuts to NIH funding, including an arbitrary cap on indirect cost reimbursements, would have devastating consequences for Boston’s research institutions. This could lead to lab closures, job losses, stalled clinical trials, and delays in life-saving treatments.

Additionally, Boston is home to numerous world-class hospitals, and these cuts would directly threaten the city’s economy. Tens of thousands of jobs and local businesses are at risk, as the "eds and meds" sector is a vital part of the region's financial stability.

During the meeting, the Council discussed the resolution and expressed concern over the impacts on not only local hospitals, but also educational and research institutions. Councilors highlighted that NIH funding supports 3,500 projects across 19 institutions and encourages engagement with local businesses, while also generating crucial tax revenue.

Councilors also shared their personal experiences with diseases that NIH aims to eradicate. They explained that without this funding, more lives would be lost, and communities would suffer from a lack of economic activity.

The resolution was adopted, and Councilors expressed strong support for the efforts of Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Mayor Michelle Wu in working to halt the funding cuts.