Dear Colleagues,
I wanted to send a note to update you on the latest developments and potential impacts of last week’s National Institutes of Health announcement that it would cap indirect costs at 15 percent for existing and new NIH grants. Since then, lawsuits seeking stays and/or injunctions against the implementation of this new policy were filed by attorneys general from 22 states, a consortium of organizations led by the AAMC, and another consortium led by the AAU.
On Monday, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order to pause the implementation of this new policy pending a Feb. 21 hearing. The ruling applies to the suits filed by the Attorney’s General and by the AAMC. As an accredited medical school, Geisel is covered under the ruling in the suit brought by the AAMC (read here). I also anticipate a ruling to be issued in the suit filed by the AAU very soon, and Geisel is covered under that as well because Dartmouth is an AAU member.
We are continuing to monitor these events closely and will do our best to keep you updated. In the meantime, we will continue to support your research programs as usual, and you should not alter your approach toward pursuing your ground-breaking science.
If upheld, the consequences of this sudden and unanticipated change would jeopardize much of the life-saving research being done here at Geisel and with our partners by drastically reducing the funding we receive on NIH awards to help offset facilities and administration costs (aka F&A or indirect costs) that support the research programs that are funded by those and other awards. (The AAMC has many helpful documents on F&A if you are interested in reading more.) This change would have a particularly harmful impact on Geisel because of the breadth and depth of our research portfolio that is sponsored by NIH.
This has been a particularly fast-moving situation, and I appreciate the frequent updates from the Dartmouth Provost and Office of Sponsored Projects and the Dartmouth Health Office of Research Operations over the past few days, and the support from institutional leadership including the general counsel’s office, communications, and the vice provost of research. Leadership of Dartmouth and DH were in contact with the New Hampshire delegation to explain the negative impact of this policy change by NIH and to enlist their support in discussions to rescind or repeal this change.
I share the anxiety that these events have caused for our faculty, staff, and students, and I am hopeful that the judge’s ruling yesterday gives you some relief and confidence that the proposed policy change at NIH does not have legal standing.
Finally, I want to commend you for your commitment to generating and disseminating new knowledge that tangibly improves people’s lives. I have not lost sight of the noble cause of pushing the very horizons of our understanding of biologic systems and of systems of healthcare and public health amidst the fog that has been created by these proposed administrative changes to F&A. I am grateful to each of you for continuing your pursuit of new knowledge.
If you have any questions regarding the impact on specific grants, please reach out to the Office of Sponsored Projects (sponsored.projects@dartmouth.edu).
Sincerely,
Duane.