Graphic by Hale Whitney ‘26
By Sydney Wiser ʼ27
Staff Writer
Amid a flurry of executive actions in the weeks following his inauguration, U.S. President Donald Trump has taken unprecedented steps toward reducing the federal government’s budget by cutting an estimated $4 billion in federal research funding. This decision is a heavy blow to the National Institute of Health which, according to its website, acts as the “largest single public funder of biomedical and behavioral research in the world.”
On Feb. 7, the Trump administration announced its plan to cap the amount of indirect funding NIH can provide at 15%. This is a significant reduction from most research institutions’ current rates. In Massachusetts alone, the New York Times calculated that research institutions could lose a total of $535 million based on data from the 2024 fiscal year.
According to the memo shared by the NIH after the decision was announced, indirect costs cover “administrative” and “facilities” costs. These include equipment, expenses for operation and building maintenance, and personnel expenses. Before Trump’s directive, indirect cost rates were typically set in agreement with the institution where the research was being conducted.
At the College, the agreed-upon indirect cost rate set for on-campus research is 64.4% of total salary and wages, according to the Mount Holyoke Grants Office’s website. This means that for every dollar spent on the direct cost of researchers’ salaries and wages, the College estimates needing 64.4% of indirect funds to support the research.
Associate Professor of Psychology and Education and Director of the Science Center, Jared Schwartzer, is currently conducting an NIH-funded research project aimed at understanding how allergies and asthma during pregnancy impact brain development by observing mice. Trump’s directive could result in a loss of around $100,000 in indirect funds for his project: A cost that would fall on the College to pay privately.
In Schwartzer’s project, indirect costs cover numerous critical parts of his research. Since Schwartzer’s research uses live rodents, the indirect costs provide animal care funds, which include covering an animal care technician’s salary.
After Trump’s directive, concerns arose for staff members like research technicians and post-doctoral fellows whose salaries are funded by federal grants, according to Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Co-Chair of the Program in Biochemistry Katie Berry. Berry noted that the College’s senior leadership has signaled their support for these staff members if funding is directly impacted.
In addition to staff salaries, indirect costs also cover equipment maintenance and building upkeep that ranges from temperature control to ensuring proper ventilation in the lab to protect researchers from chemical exposure. “If we lost indirect funds, our research spaces would deteriorate and it would no longer be a safe environment to conduct the research,” Schwartzer said.
Schwartzer was awarded his three-year grant last year, but since he did not receive the money all at once, he anticipates being greatly affected by the directive. “The Trump administration’s limitation means that the money we were promised in the original grant will no longer be made available to us. Money we were counting on receiving will not be transferred to Mount Holyoke,” Schwartzer explained. Berry, who is currently using an NIH grant to study how the genetic properties of bacteria affect their pathogenicity, is also waiting to see how she will be impacted by the limitations.
In the aftermath of Trump’s decision to cut funding, researchers responded with outrage, fearing the impact it would have on the quality of research in the United States. 22 state attorneys general sued the Trump Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the NIH for “unlawfully cutting funds.” Thirteen universities and higher education groups also filed a lawsuit, where they noted that smaller institutions might not be able to financially sustain research anymore and “could close entirely.”
As a result of the two suits, on Feb. 10 a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to halt the funding cuts. According to CBS News, this pause only impacts states whose attorneys general participated in the lawsuit, which includes Massachusetts. A hearing date was scheduled for Feb. 21, 2025.
According to Berry, the NIH and the National Science Foundation — which is also experiencing funding cuts — are the only institutions that offer large-scale grants for undergraduate biomedical research. Should Trump’s directive be implemented, the College would have to make changes to its current research system, which may curtail research opportunities for students. Berry, who has brought 26 students onto her project since 2019, has found these research opportunities are large draws to the College for many students and staff members.
“A core part of the academic program at Mount Holyoke is for undergraduates to have opportunities to engage in authentic and meaningful research alongside faculty members. Being able to conduct our research while mentoring and training such a bright, diverse and passionate group of students is what brought so many [of] our faculty to Mount Holyoke,” Berry said.
Schwartzer also worries that Trump’s directive could hinder the College’s ability to compensate students for their work using grant money. “Students shouldn’t have to choose between getting a job on campus and exploring a co-curricular opportunity that is career-facing,” Schwartzer said. Berry anticipates that alternative funding sources like private foundations and alumni donations could play a larger role in supporting research if federal funding is reduced.
Research centers around the United States are now waiting for the outcome of the lawsuit to determine what the future of their research will look like.
While she waits, Berry hopes that “institutions across the country will be able to be creative – and brave – in finding ways to continue [to] support the strength of U.S. biomedical research and to train the next generation of scientists, who will carry this strength forward.”
Leah Dutcher ’28 contributed fact-checking.