MILWAUKEE — A coalition of more than 20 states, including Wisconsin, is suing President Trump as he and his administration work to slash funding for critical research projects nationwide.
Funding medical breakthroughs and research into illnesses like cancer, diabetes, and infectious diseases is what the National Institutes of Health (NIH) does.
Under a new directive issued Monday, Trump cut that funding, capping indirect costs of research at 15% of its grants. This comes after the NIH reported spending more than $35 billion on research grants in fiscal year 2023. Twenty-six percent of that money went to overhead costs at research organizations.
To better understand the impact at home, TMJ4's Lighthouse Reporter Ryan Jenkins dug into the data and found that in fiscal year 2024, 26 organizations in Wisconsin received a total of 1,006 awards from the NIH, totaling $577,657,096.
Watch: NIH Funding cuts will impact Wisconsin institutions and organizations
UW-Madison
UW-Madison is the largest recipient of NIH funding in the state. It received $408,486,498 in awards last year. In a statement, the University warned that these funding cuts will "significantly disrupt vital research activity and delay lifesaving discoveries."
Medical College of Wisconsin
The Medical College of Wisconsin received $108,521,437 in awards in fiscal year 2024.
"Delays and reductions in support for life-saving bio-medical research will have immediate and long-term consequences, directly impacting the timeline for developing treatments and cures for cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and much more," said John R. Raymond, Sr., MD, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin in a statement to TMJ4 News. "Even brief disruptions can halt clinical trials, prevent patient recruitment, and delay the publication of critical findings, affecting the number of patients who could benefit from new treatments. These delays not only hinder scientific progress but also have real-world implications for patients waiting for breakthroughs, highlighting the urgent need for timely support and funding."
Marquette Unversity
Marquette University received $7,468,361 across 21 awards in fiscal year 2024.
In a statement to students, a Marquette spokesperson said the university is working with Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s office to accurately describe the impact of this NIH change.
UW-Milwaukee
UW-Milwaukee received $7,236,463 across 16 awards in fiscal year 2024. UW-Milwaukee's School of Nursing also recently secured the top NIH research ranking in the state. The school made that announcement less than two weeks ago.
In a statement, a UW-Milwaukee spokesperson said,
"As we continue to assess the situation and its potential impact on our university, we recognize the significant role of NIH-funded research at UWM. We currently have $7.9 million in active NIH grant activity. These projects support critical research that enhance everyday quality of life by improving physical and mental health interventions, disease prevention strategies and public health policies. Examples of these projects include studies on genetic mutations linked to birth defects in children, the effects of hormones on the neuroscience of aging, the behavioral effects of substance abuse, the relationship between environmental toxins and children’s health, and the effects of wheelchair use on shoulder pain."
As uncertainty grows around what this means for research going forward, Wisconsin's Governor Tony Evers joined a coalition of nearly two dozen states now suing President Trump for these fiscal cuts.
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