Dario Altieri, president of Philadelphia’s Wistar Institute
Scientists are urging the United States Congress to boost funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) following a record-breaking federal government shutdown that disrupted grant reviews nationwide. The shutdown left many research projects in limbo, raising concerns about the stability of biomedical research.
Dario Altieri, president of the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, noted that although his institute avoided significant cuts this year, the halt in grant evaluations highlighted the ongoing unpredictability of federal research funding. A potential 40% NIH budget cut proposed by the Trump administration further heightens uncertainty.
The Pennsylvania Ad Hoc NIH Funding Advocacy Coalition is urging state congressional representatives to allocate $47.2 billion to the NIH in the next fiscal year, representing a $400 million increase.
Members of the coalition include Wistar, the American Association for Cancer Research, the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Centre, and the University City Science Centre.
Altieri emphasised that stable NIH funding is crucial for education, training, and innovation across Pennsylvania’s research institutions. “This is not a red state or blue state issue. It is about the health of everyone in the Commonwealth,” he said.
While some institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, did not sign the coalition’s latest letter, they continue to advocate directly for increased NIH support to sustain life-saving research initiatives.
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