Dear Members of the George Washington University Community,
We shared yesterday our deep concern about the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) intent to limit reimbursement of “indirect costs,” or research funding that supports mission-critical facilities, personnel, equipment, and operations. This change would negatively impact our research enterprise by slowing or stopping progress related to life-threatening diseases and improvements to public health, taking away valuable learning opportunities for our students, and hindering innovation and economic growth.
In response to the NIH’s directive, GW has joined a lawsuit as a co-plaintiff in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts that challenges this federal action. Alongside the Association of American Universities (AAU) and several other AAU institutions, as well as the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the American Council on Education, GW opposes the proposed action on the grounds that it is arbitrary and capricious and a violation of federal statute and regulations, in addition to its likely devastating effects on life-saving research. Similar suits were filed on Monday, one by 22 state attorneys general and a second by a coalition of health and medical organizations led by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Late Monday, the judge assigned to the suit filed by the state attorneys general issued a temporary order blocking the new funding policy in those 22 states. That temporary order was later expanded nationwide by the same judge in response to the AAMC lawsuit.
We are committed to working with the AAU and others to oppose this federal action and will update the community as information becomes available. In the meantime, guidance and links to relevant announcements will continue to be added to the Federal Transition Updates page, and questions about research should be directed to [email protected].
Thank you for your continued attention to this critical issue.
Sincerely,
Ellen M. Granberg
President
Christopher Alan Bracey
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Law
Charles Barber
Vice President and General Counsel
Robert H. Miller
Interim Vice Provost for Research
Vivian Gill Distinguished Research Professor and Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology