Slashing NIH funding imperils the foundation of medical research

For more than a century, NIH-sponsored research has played a critical role in improving the nation’s health. This vital work must continue.

By: Bobby Mukkamala, MD, AMA President

It’s not hyperbole to say my sudden brain cancer diagnosis last fall could have put a swift end to my medical career—and it certainly would have prevented me from taking the oath of office to become AMA president in June—were it not for incredible advancements in biomedical research and medical treatments tied to the pioneering science developed with the help of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

And progress like this, not just for me but for millions of people who’ve experienced a health crisis, is made possible thanks to considerable financial investment by our federal government into public health institutions like the NIH and the leading research universities and medical centers with which it partners.

The proposed 40% cut in the NIH’s research budget for 2026 will not only harm patients facing serious and even life-threatening diagnoses today and into the future, it further erodes our nation’s global leadership in biomedical research and discovery. We must not abandon medical progress and needlessly endanger the health of millions whose illnesses could have been treated had we stayed on course.

The AMA and our partners in the Federation of Medicine clearly recognize the need to spend federal resources as efficiently as possible. However, we believe that cutting the NIH’s research budget nearly in half will exacerbate the consequences institutions already face from the administration’s recent cap on indirect research costs, as well as the premature termination of previously awarded research grants. 

NIH discoveries save lives

For more than a century, the vital role that NIH-sponsored research has played in reducing illness and helping people live longer cannot be overstated. In my specific case, the medicine I’m currently taking—an IDH inhibitor to arrest the growth of, and perhaps even shrink, my residual brain cancer—was developed over a decade through a close partnership among pharmaceutical companies, academic researchers and the NIH, with major government-funded support.

We cannot lose sight of what the NIH has achieved over the years. Its expertise in basic research has led to more than 100 Nobel prizes, allowed us to understand how viruses can cause cancer, and led to the development of open-heart surgery, artificial skin, cholesterol-lowering statins and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), among many other transformative advances. 

The NIH has been instrumental in developing nearly every Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug patients take today. NIH researchers continue to make tremendous progress in creating artificial organs and in other aspects of regenerative medicine, as well as in chronic disease treatment and prevention, pharmacogenomics and precision medicine. 

The NIH is foundational to medical advances in U.S. health care. NIH research laid the groundwork for mRNA vaccines that the first Trump administration wisely leveraged in Operation Warp Speed and was critical in our fight against COVID-19. The NIH also has played a vital role in research and advancement of GLP-1 agonists, cancer immunotherapy and countless other evidence-based therapeutics that improve patient outcomes. With a long track record of high-risk, high-reward scientific discoveries and achievements, the NIH has earned its reputation as the crown jewel of U.S. medical science.

Structure of medical research

For decades, our nation’s medical research has primarily taken place at universities and academic medical centers that rely on federal funding to sustain their groundbreaking work. The reduction in staffing at the NIH threatens critical support to these research programs. 

Also, capping indirect cost reimbursement at 15%, instead of the typical range of 50% or higher, forces these institutions to absorb an unsustainable level of infrastructure costs. The inevitable result will be dismantling the framework of U.S. medical research by undermining the overall stability of the institutions conducting it and creating a financial shortfall that cannot be readily overcome.

Taken together, these cuts in NIH staffing and funding threaten our nation’s leadership position in developing advanced medical devices as well as the status of our world-leading specialized hospitals in oncology, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery and other fields. NIH funding supports multidisciplinary teams at these hospitals that drive the future of medical innovation and discovery. 

Biomedical research conducted today yields the pioneering breakthroughs of tomorrow. Our patients, and our nation, cannot afford to undermine the research taking place at universities, hospitals, research organizations and the NIH itself that has saved countless lives and improved outcomes for hundreds of millions of people. I am proof of that progress; not a day goes by where I don’t reflect on what the tireless work of so many has given me and my family. We are eternally grateful for them, and want the benefits of this pioneering research to continue and help as many people as possible. 

The AMA and our physician partners nationwide firmly believe that our nation’s longstanding tradition of strong bipartisan support for biomedical research must be carried forward, so that our patients can continue to benefit from the world’s most innovative advancements in medical care. We stand ready to work with the administration and Congress on solutions that achieve the same goal of transparent cost-effectiveness without undermining the integrity of medical research for years to come, and pledge to work with all concerned parties involved to find and implement workable solutions that maintain our nation’s global leadership in medical science. 

This article is also available on the AMA’s website, where you can learn more about our mission to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.

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