US federal agencies face research funding shifts and staffing shortages

Federal research funding is facing significant disruptions due to administrative shifts and staffing changes within U.S. health agencies.

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), staffing shortages resulting from previous downsizing efforts have put approximately $13 million in research grants at risk. The shortage has prevented the agency from reviewing all grant applications before the September 30 deadline, specifically impacting the World Trade Center Health Program. Dr. David Prezant, chief medical officer of the FDNY, noted that only $7 million of the $20 million authorized annually for research has been approved, potentially affecting seven clinical centers in the New York metropolitan area.

Separately, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is working to redirect hundreds of millions of dollars in research projects from its infectious diseases institute to the Department of Defense (DOD). This arrangement aims to transfer biodefense-related research to the military to distinguish civilian public health initiatives from defense priorities. An NIH spokesperson stated that this partnership will occur on a “project-by-project basis” and that there is “no blanket transfer of funds.”