Long Island could take a $163.3 million hit from NIH funding cuts

Long Island could lose as much as $163.3 million in research grants if the National Institutes of Health’s plan to cap scientific funding is upheld in federal court.

A recent analysis of federal grants data by a group of U.S. researchers through the Science & Community Impacts Mapping project revealed that, outside of New York City, Nassau would likely be the New York county hit hardest by possible cuts. The estimated economic loss for Nassau alone could be $96 million and around 420 jobs would be affected. Suffolk County, home to Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory, could potentially face $67 million in economic losses through federal cuts to scientific research, putting at risk more than 280 jobs.

The group’s interactive map looks at the reduction in funding from a 15% cap on "indirect costs" of research, such as staffing, equipment and infrastructure, and calculates the economic loss by county and state. Research organizations argue that limiting reimbursement for the costs associated with the actual research will make it nearly impossible for them to undertake the work.

According to the data, New York trails only California among most-affected states with an estimated loss of $1.8 billion. More than 7,600 jobs in the state could be at risk.

Stony Brook and other SUNY universities could lose up to $79 million combined. Research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research would also be hit, Newsday previously reported.

The NIH, responsible for funding crucial biomedical research, has been under the lens of the Department of Health and Human Services to slash nearly $2.6 billion from its budget. Last week, a federal judge permanently blocked the NIH from capping funds to research centers and universities, but the Trump administration is expected to appeal.

— Karthika Namboothiri karthika.namboothiri@newsday.com

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