The University’s research programs have been affected by the White House’s proposed budget for the upcoming year as terminated federal grants cause research projects to cease.
Following an executive order from President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation rescinded grants and awards for projects that, according to the NSF, “are not aligned with program goals or agency priorities.” Projects losing funding include those related to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and environmental justice.
Trump’s executive order called for the termination of all “equity actions, initiatives, or programs” including “equity-related grants or contracts.”
According to Grant Witness, a database tracking grant terminations of research agencies, 25 NIH grants and 19 NSF grants have been affected across the state of Alabama. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Services estimated that roughly $3.9 million of the $4.9 million in grants awarded to the University is being targeted for termination.
Jeff Gray, a professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University, had a $3.5 million project canceled in April because of NSF cuts. The canceled project offered College Board Advanced Placement exam preparatory experiences with summer camps at the University for Black female high school students from rural Alabama.
“This was going to provide an opportunity for a lot of young women who never saw themselves being in a tech field,” Gray said. “They’re probably never going to have that experience now.”
Gray said his project was successful in past years, and that with the help of University students who served as camp counselors, the program resulted in 70-80% AP exam pass rates from participants.
“We had success both from the high school participants’ passing success rate and interest in computer science, as well as our own UA students and their mentoring experience that helped propel them into their own confidence in their careers,” Gray said.
Gray cited DEI as the reason his project was targeted for grant termination. However, after modifying the project’s description to a gender and race-neutral focus on “rural students who had socio-economic challenges,” the project was still canceled.
The NSF said that it terminated awards because it must only fund research that aligns with policies established by the current administration and Congress.
According to the NSF “all federal agencies that support research and development, including NSF, must ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in the most efficient way possible consistent with each agency’s mission,” and that “awards and funding opportunities that do not align with these priorities cannot be funded.”
The NIH has also terminated funding. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, about 63% of terminated grants nationwide were “research and development grants.”
Guy Caldwell, a university distinguished research professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, said he feels that these cuts from NIH will have an impact on students as well as society at large.
“I do believe that these things usually are cyclical, that we see as one political administration comes in and shifts to another, priorities change and funding changes,” Caldwell said. “I have to say it’s kind of hit an all time low, and that’s really devastating.”
Caldwell and his wife Kim Caldwell, a professor in the same department, even made a donation to their lab to help pay the students and their research.
“We don’t mind doing that, but it’s wrong that we have to,” he said. “We’re big believers in investing in yourself, and we always have done that for our students.”
He added that he has seen his students be admitted to “elite” medical schools and Ph.D. programs only to then have their acceptances rescinded due to decreased budgets.
“As somebody who wants to encourage students to go on and become scientists and doctors, I don’t like to see them not get the opportunities they’ve earned, and they’ve really earned them,” he said.
NIH grant cuts directly impact students by limiting access to certain programs, causing students to alter their future plans.
Zachary Goldman, a junior majoring in physics, said he was hoping to apply for a government-funded summer program through Research Experiences for Undergraduates, but is now planning on returning home for the summer to work in hospitals.
“Myself and a lot of my friends have had issues just getting acceptances into these programs because they’re either temporarily shut down or they’re only accepting one or two students, whereas in the past, they’ve accepted five or six,” he said.
Goldman added that as an aspiring Ph.D. candidate, his post-graduate education opportunities are also impacted.
“I’m having to shift my timeline around,” he said. “There’s less money now, so I have to sort of wait to maybe apply for a Ph.D., whereas I might have been able to go straight into it.”
Caldwell said he appreciates the University’s investments in research as they continue to provide “small grants and opportunities.”
“It’s been great to see that happen, and it would be great to see if they could boost that even further through major donations earmarked toward researchers that can support undergraduates and labs,” he said. “It’s something where they’re doing the right thing already, but more of it would be great.”
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