NIH nominee won't commit to ending indirect costs rate cut

During a Senate confirmation hearing, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Trump's nominee for the NIH, faced scrutiny over the agency's policy to cap indirect cost reimbursements for medical research at 15%. This significant reduction from the average 28% has led to financial instability for numerous universities, prompting reactions like hiring freezes. Bhattacharya emphasized the need for transparency regarding where funding is allocated, as trust in the public health establishment has waned since the pandemic. The hearing focused on the implications of these changes and their potential effects on public health.

While direct research costs include easily quantifiable line items such as researcher salaries, indirect cost rates support harder-to-quantify costs that may contribute to multiple different research projects, including laboratory space, hazardous waste removal and patient safety measures.

I think transparency regarding indirect costs is absolutely worthwhile, and it's something that the universities can fix by working together to make sure that where that money goes is made clear.

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