"The unfortunate thing is, you may not see the impact of a cut in funding right now immediately. The question is, is there a researcher who is funding a cure now? That could actually save the lives or improve the quality of life for your grandchildren, for when they encounter a disease for which there currently is no cure," Vivian Ho, Rice University & Baylor College of Medicine Health Economist, asked.
That's the stark reality for medical research institutions across the country.
Ho has research funded by the NIH; she says the loss of funding has already impacted some researchers at Texas Children's Hospital.
"A cut in what is called the indirect cost rate, that went from whatever the institution has, anywhere between let's say, 50 and 75%, down to 15%," Ho said. "There's also been cuts to grants that are focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. These are research grants that look at disparities and access to care or patient outcomes by race or ethnicity."
A judge blocked that cap earlier this month, but it is still in the courts as a Trump administration spokesperson described indirect costs as "administrative bloat."
That's just one of several lawsuits the administration is facing over the cuts.
According to KFF Health News, hundreds of NIH grants were cut across the country from Feb. 28 to March 28.
That includes several local places like the University of Houston and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
At Texas Woman's University, for example, those cuts include part of a $500,000 grant for research into the spread of misinformation among Hispanics when it comes to COVID-19.
"There are researchers here at the Texas Medical Center who are deeply involved in experiments, clinical trials, and other ways to make people's lives better," said Ho.
Ho says long-term scientific discoveries take time, but more importantly, federal dollars to be successful.
"If these cuts in funding are sustained, the Texas Medical Center will not be able to continue as a world-class institution," Ho said.
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