WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) led the Florida Democrats in urging the new National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya to reverse cuts to life-saving medical research into treatments and cures for diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes. This drastic reduction in funding will hurt Florida families, eliminate thousands of Florida jobs, and cede American dominance in health research to our foreign competitors like China.

The lawmakers wrote, “We look forward to working with you to advance critical research that will improve the lives of countless Floridians and Americans. However, as members of the Florida Congressional delegation, we also write to express concern about the impact of NIH guidance (NOT-OD-25-068), stating that existing and new grant recipients will be subject to a 15 percent indirect cost rate. This policy would curtail the groundbreaking and life-saving research being done across the state of Florida by colleges and universities, cancer centers, health systems and more. Such a drastic cut in federal support for biomedical research would diminish our nation’s research capacity, slow scientific gains and harm access to patients and families across the country who benefit from NIH-funded research. While a nationwide temporary restraining order is in place, we implore you to permanently rescind this guidance.”

The lawmakers continued, “Indirect costs are an essential part of this federally funded research, supporting high-quality research with robust oversight mechanisms, critical safety measures and necessary infrastructure. There is a substantial cost associated with conducting research on behalf of the federal government, including state-of-the-art laboratory space and equipment, high-speed data processing, secure data storage, hazardous waste disposal, patient safety protocols, and utilities.”

In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, the NIH awarded the state of Florida $869 million in grants and contracts, which had a $2.82 billion economic impact and supported over 14,600 jobs.

Read the full letter here.