Tag: NIH

STEVE MILLOY: What Exactly Have NIH Grants Got Us?

The US is by far the world’s leading funder of biomedical research. But the Trump administration reportedly plans to ask Congress to cut the budget of the National Institutes of Health from $47 billion to $27 billion as part of its effort to rein in out-of-control federal spending.

From Watts Up With That?

THE DAILY CALLER

Daily Caller News Foundation

Steve Milloy
Contributor

The US is by far the world’s leading funder of biomedical research. But the Trump administration reportedly plans to ask Congress to cut the budget of the National Institutes of Health from $47 billion to $27 billion as part of its effort to rein in out-of-control federal spending.

Not unexpectedly, grant recipients and their support communities are up in arms. They claim that the proposed cuts would deprive researchers of the funding they need to find cures. They say the US will lose its global dominance in the field, along with enormous profits.

But the critical questions are: “What does NIH-funded research actually accomplish?” and “Are the accomplishments worth the money?” The answers, at least according to NIH itself, seem to be shockingly little for the vast sums spent. (RELATED: STEVE MILLOY: Trump’s EPA Is Right To Be Skeptical Of ‘Sun-Blocking’) 

On its website, NIH divides its accomplishments for 2024 under three headings: (1) “Human Health Advances”; (2) “Promising Medical Findings” and (3) “Basic Research Insights.” Under each heading are five NIH-touted accomplishments.

The first item listed under “Human Health Advances,” a category that represents the latest and greatest from NIH research, is “Accurate blood test for Alzheimer’s disease.” After listening to a leftist talking head attack President Trump and Elon Musk for “setting back Alzheimer’s research 20 years” with funding cuts, I looked into the Alzheimer’s advance that NIH had touted at the top of its list of accomplishments.

The advance referred to a July 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reporting on a new blood test that had, with 90 percent accuracy, correctly diagnosed Alzheimer’s among 1,213 Swedish Alzheimer’s patients.

While that may sound impressive, the study authors qualified their results with two key caveats: (1) More testing was needed in other cohorts of patients to confirm their results; and (2) “Future studies should evaluate how the use of blood tests for these biomarkers influences clinical care.” Far from being a “Human Health Advance”, the researchers admitted that they still needed confirmation of their results and that they’re not sure the blood test will have any usefulness even if the results are confirmed.

As to NIH taking credit for the “advance,” such as it is, NIH was just one of 20 different funders of the research. It awarded a total of $993,478 to two Swedish researchers. The other 14 Swedish researchers on the study were apparently funded by the other 19 or so Swedish funders.

The study is really only noteworthy because NIH anointed it as the top “advance” for 2024. But what does that say about the other $36.8 billion NIH spent on 60,000 other grants? A not-ready-for-prime-time Alzheimer’s blood test is its pride and joy among all that funding?

A recent Washington Post op-ed entitled “Science needs more shrimp on treadmills” opined that “the National Institutes of Health isn’t funding too much silly science. It’s not funding enough.” The author tried to credit NIH with the development of weight loss drugs like Ozempic. In 1984, an itinerant NIH researcher published a study on Gila monster venom. After four decades of research elsewhere, others used the finding to develop the now blockbuster GLP-1 drugs. In some ways, that’s an amazing story. On the other hand, it’s not evidence that NIH’s huge spending is producing results for taxpayers.

President Nixon launched the “War on Cancer” in 1971, Every President since has tried to make his mark in that effort, but breakthroughs have limited. In 1986, all-star biostatistician John Bailar observed that cancer remained undefeated. In 2018, cancer researchers reported in the British Medical Journal that the expensive drugs recommended by US cancer treatment guidelines were based on “weak evidence.” President Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” has produced essentially zero.

NIH mentioned no cancer progress under “Human Health Advances” or “Promising Medical Findings” for 2024. The sole mention of cancer comes in “Basic Research Insights” under “Mapping how cancers form and spread.” Fifty-four years after the War on Cancer was launched, that is where we are.

None of this is to say that NIH shouldn’t fund medical research. But if NIH continues spending taxpayer money, there must be some auditing of expenditures and reconciling of accomplishments. We are $36 trillion in debt and cannot afford to spent never-ending billions of dollars on non-productive research in hopes that something will eventually turn up.

And no, there is no need to worry about foreign competition. We spend about 18 times more than the UK, our nearest competitor with respect to medical research. It may be that the rest of the world is free-riding on the backs of US taxpayers. It may also be that the rest of world has realized that there are more productive ways to spend their taxpayer dollars.

Steve Milloy is a biostatistician and lawyer, publishes JunkScience.com and is on X @JunkScience.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

The Tide of Accountability is Finally Rolling In

What a spectacle! As the Trump administration reclaims the reins of power, the scientific elite are reacting with utter dismay to policies that prioritize accountability, budgetary discipline, and a reevaluation of priorities. Judging by the tone of despair emanating from recent articles, you’d think the very foundation of science had crumbled underfoot. But make no mistake—this isn’t the death of science; it’s the birth of overdue reform.

From Watts Up With That?

By Charles Rotter

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00231-y

What a spectacle! As the Trump administration reclaims the reins of power, the scientific elite are reacting with utter dismay to policies that prioritize accountability, budgetary discipline, and a reevaluation of priorities. Judging by the tone of despair emanating from recent articles, you’d think the very foundation of science had crumbled underfoot. But make no mistake—this isn’t the death of science; it’s the birth of overdue reform.

In an unprecedented move, research-grant reviews have been suspended indefinitely at the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00231-y

Both Nature and Science magazine lament the “unprecedented” decisions to halt NIH grant-review meetings, travel, and non-emergency communications. A chorus of voices within the research community describes these measures as “devastating,” “unfair,” and even a “cataclysm.” What’s actually happening? The Trump administration is simply pressing the pause button to evaluate how $47 billions of taxpayer money is being spent by the NIH​​.

Gone are the days of unchecked spending and ideological pet projects masquerading as science. The NIH’s controversial diversity initiatives, which critics argue prioritize optics over merit, have disappeared from the agency’s website overnight.

Diversity goals

Adding to the uncertainty among researchers, the Trump administration also seems to have erased all materials relating to structural racism and diversity from the NIH website. The NIH has been criticized by the research community over the years for a lack of racial and ethnic diversity in those who win grants from the agency — critiques that are “warranted” and urgent as the United States and its scientists become more diverse, Varmus says.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00231-y

Predictably, this move has sparked outrage, with some scientists claiming the reforms threaten inclusivity and progress. Yet, one can’t help but notice the silence around the persistent lack of genuine innovation and results in key areas of medical research​​.

Take, for example, the complaint about canceled travel and study panels. It’s as if presenting at conferences has become the end-all-be-all of scientific progress. What’s lost in these protests is any reflection on whether these gatherings provide real value to taxpayers or whether the grants being reviewed are delivering measurable benefits. The administration is asking the NIH to justify itself—an entirely reasonable request when tens of billions of dollars are on the line​.

Early-career researchers bemoan potential disruptions to their paths, but perhaps it’s time for the scientific establishment to reexamine how it supports young talent. Are these systems producing independent, innovative thinkers, or merely training another generation to perpetuate the same tired, ineffective paradigms? If reforms spark a reevaluation of this broken cycle, all the better​.

At its core, the uproar over these changes reveals an entrenched resistance to reform. Instead of introspection, the scientific community has opted for indignation. The reality is that hard-nosed accountability is long overdue. Taxpayers deserve transparency, measurable outcomes, and funding decisions rooted in merit—not ideological favoritism or bureaucratic inertia. For those panicking about their travel plans or pet projects, the message is clear: adapt or step aside.

Science is not under attack; it’s being rescued—from itself.