Harvard researchers fear dismissals and stopped study due to lack of money

Harvard researchers fear dismissals and stopped study due to lack of money

HARVARD university professors face difficult-sometimes life-threatening-decisions after the Trump government has frozen more than $ 2.2 billion in research funds. This measure was taken because the university refused to give up political demands.

The effects on tuberculosis research

Professor Sarah Fortune from the Harvard School of Public Health has been researching tuberculosis for over a decade. This week, she received an invitation to hire her work on a contract over $ 60 million, which maintains more than a dozen laboratories. Part of this research includes a vaccine study with primates in Pittsburgh, whose life is now at risk. "The question is whether we can find resources to support them so that we do not have to euthana," said Fortune. Although it is possible that the researchers will receive enough external support to save these animals, there is no alternative financing offer that is large enough to support the entire research program.

consequences for further research and jobs

While Fortune and her colleagues try to limit the damage, it is not just the Harvard jobs that are on the brink. It is estimated that more than 80 % of the funds from their tuberculosis contract flow to other laboratories and schools, including the University of Pittsburgh, the Case Western Reserve University and the University of Washington. "The affected institutions - some implement faster than other measures to discharge employees," Fortune told CNN.

stop work orders in research

Professor Donald E. Ingber from the Harvard Medical School also received stop work orders for two contracts in connection with his work on human organ chips-tiny devices filled with living human cells. This research could help alleviate the side effects of radiation therapies in more than 70 % of cancer patients and to reduce the practice of animal experiments when testing medication and vaccines. Ingber said that the Biomedical Development Office had asked him to submit a research application in spring 2023 because there is a critical need for new radiation protection measures.

a ban that could cost life

Professor David Walt from the Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital received an email from the Ministry of Health on Tuesday, in which he was informed that the financing for a subsidy for research on (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) was immediately canceled. "This cancellation will cost life," said Walt. His project concentrated on early diagnoses and treatment options for as that affects around 30,000 people in the United States. The grant had a value of over $ 300,000 a year.

cuts in the millions for life -saving research

It is still unclear how many programs will be affected by the financial cuts as a whole, but the first reports indicate that millions of dollars have already been deleted for life -saving medical research. The White House defended the continuation of this measure yesterday and threatened to withdraw Harvard's tax exemption. Like many other universities, Harvard receives funds from the US government for research and innovation, and these funds make up 58 % of the total sponsored income during the financial year 2024.

Legal steps against the Trump administration

on Friday, before the funds were announced, a group of Harvard professors submitted a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block a review of almost $ 9 billion in federal funds for Harvard. The lawsuit warns that the measures of the White House "have already caused significant and irreparable damage by having stopped academic research and scientific interest in the Harvard University". The Trump administration has also targeted universities and universities in the USA by either changing the conditions for research grants or showing international students.

The episodes at the renowned Ivy League University are already noticeable-scientists warn of enormous consequences.