Students from across the state addressed the Arizona Board of Regents during Thursday’s public comment session, voicing concerns over federal funding cuts that have shaken research institutions nationwide.
“There are billionaires actively dismantling our public education system as we speak, and their actions are directly harming the communities these universities serve,” Michael Kintscher, a graduate student and assembly president for the Graduate Student Government at Arizona State University, told the regents at the meeting in Tempe. “We look to you for leadership.”
Despite sentiments of worry and uncertainty, the board of regents did not discuss the federal directive during the public portion of the meeting or include it in its news releases. While the board sets its own agenda, it is only allowed to discuss what’s on the agenda during a meeting.
On Feb. 7, the National Institutes of Health announced drastic cuts to NIH funds used by public research universities, effective the following business day, Feb. 10. The cuts target “indirect costs” such as building maintenance and administrative support, capping grant funds for these expenses at 15%.
The University of Arizona was left scrambling after the announcement. Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, the UA’s Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation, wrote to the UA community the day after the cuts were set to go into effect.
“The U of A conducts about $165 million in NIH research, and research-support funds cover expenses like labs, specialized core facilities, technical personnel, cybersecurity protections, compliance, and other operational costs,” he wrote.
De la Rubia said the UA could lose $40.5 million in research-support funds if the judge does not grant a permanent injunction.
“These critical enablers of research are major reasons why the U.S. is the most technologically advanced nation in the world,” he wrote in the Feb. 11 email.
In response to the NIH’s announcement, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts, along with 21 other states, calling for an injunction on the “unlawful” mandate.
The board of regents spokesperson Megan Gilbertson told Arizona Luminaria that “ABOR and our university presidents are actively monitoring the executive orders and court cases. Our university presidents are communicating directly with faculty and staff and have the board’s support as they work through the potential impacts.”
The UA’s research and innovation department set up a page to inform the university community about funding updates and directives, telling researchers “to continue budgeting NIH applications at the applicable federally negotiated rate. New and existing NIH awards will continue to be administered with the applicable federally negotiated rate.”
Mayes emphasized the potential harm of these cuts, noting the UA received more than $170 million in NIH funding for the 2024 federal fiscal year.
“Arizona students and universities will miss out on millions of dollars in critical funding and research support if the current federal administration is not blocked from defunding NIH and its grants to our state,” Mayes said in a news release.
While a federal judge granted a temporary injunction for the 22 states involved in the lawsuit, students are already feeling the strain of financial precarity amid added student fees.
“I understand that there are other systemic issues at play, especially in light of the federal attempts to slash research grants, but we’re on the same team. The grad students will happily join you in advocating for the State of Arizona to properly fund its educational institutions,” Amalie Strange, a graduate student in the School of Life Sciences at ASU, told the regents.
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