MILWAUKEE — Amid ongoing cuts and freezes to funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 3D Molecular Design, a family-owned business in downtown Milwaukee, is preparing for the worst-case scenario.
Visitors to the company's downtown headquarters can find 3D models of various molecular structures designed to enhance research and learning in classrooms across the country.
The company relies heavily on NIH grants, describing them as crucial to its operation.
Over the past 25 years, the business has received funding through various programs totaling almost $4 million.
Currently, 3D Molecular Design holds three active NIH grants, and two new proposals have been halted in the grant review process.
"The uncertainty is really hard right now," said Heather Ryan, CEO of 3D Molecular Design. "We have to brace ourselves that our current grants could get canceled at any time."
This uncertainty is a reality many researchers across the nation are facing as the Trump administration freezes grant applications and terminates funding in some cases.
"Figuring out how we can operate without that money is a big problem for us right now," Ryan explained. She emphasized that if funding cuts occur or if current NIH grants are canceled, the company may have to reduce staffing levels.
"We will have to reduce our staff by six positions, which is really unfortunate for all of the people we've been working with for a really long time," Ryan said.
Watch: ‘The uncertainty is really hard’: Milwaukee business faces NIH funding woes
In addition to providing employment, the company offers internships to local students, granting them vital hands-on experience in the field.
Ryan pointed out that without the molecular models they produce, learning experiences in classrooms across the nation could also be compromised.
"These impacts are going to be felt for years to come," Ryan warned. "Across the board, I hope policymakers consider these long-term impacts—both on business and science."
As 3D Molecular Design navigates these challenges, the company remains hopeful it can continue contributing to the education of the next generation of scientists.
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