Federal Grants to Universities 1-17-25

In 2024, the US government allocated nearly $2 trillion to fund medical research and public health programs. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency responsible for biomedical research in the United States. The NIH awards grants to universities, medical schools, and other research institutions.  

Colleges and universities are planning to put more than $1.3 billion to work on one-time purchases of equipment as of 4-3-24.

How much federal money goes to Columbia University? $1.2 Billion of revenue a year comes from public funding for research, from grants. That is money our work brings in! This reflects $900M in direct funding, and $300M in indirect. The total research spending at Columbia in 2022 was $812 Million.

The Federal Government does have leverage over Universities, but funding for Medical Research is the largest expense.

Comments

In 1971, I joined Washington University at the Medical School to establish the Personnel Function on the Medical School Campus, automate Administration to support new HEW reporting requirements and establish Affirmative Action. I became a co-investigator and received a $10 million, basic improvement grant from NIH to fund a “cage washing” facility for the Animal Research Lab to increase productivity and improve research results. The Grant also included certification of our 90, mostly Black Animal Caretakers as AALAS Certified Animal Lab Technicians.

AALAS certification is a voluntary program that recognizes the professional competence of laboratory animal technicians and managers. The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) offers three levels of certification for technicians, and a separate certification for animal resources managers.

I expect that NIH Grants will be reviewed and adjusted to the development of Treatments for Viral Infections and will not allow “gain-of-function research to avoid another COVID.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader