Important Federal Transition Update, 2-9-25

Dear students, faculty and staff,

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on Feb. 7 that it will reduce the indirect cost rate for new and existing grants to 15% for all institutions. 

For decades, every Coloradan and people across the country have benefited from NIH-funded medical research conducted at the nation’s medical schools and academic medical campuses. Weakening the long-standing partnership between institutions like ours and the federal government with these proposed cuts to research will have far-reaching and we believe dangerous consequences.

Federal investment in facilities and administrative costs is not optional—it is fundamental to making research possible. These essential funds support the physical and operational backbone of scientific discovery, from maintaining laboratories and securing data to sustaining the daily operations of critical research infrastructure. 

The cost of eliminating this support? Reduced research capacity, fewer scientific discoveries, job losses, and delayed advancements on therapies and cures that could improve—and save—lives for adults and children facing difficult diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and so many more.

We assure you that this campus and our university leadership remain committed to the future of scientific research and are actively examining ways to preserve research support. 

Since this issue and others will continue to evolve, please continue to visit the campus resource webpage, CU Anschutz Federal Transition Updates for up to date information. The University Federal Relations Team will continue to provide updates on their site, and our partners at the AAMC also have provided even more detailed information on the impacts of this cut here.

We are in this together, along with CU System, the CU campuses, our hospital partners and the people we serve. Our shared commitment to advancing medical research has never been more important. As always, we deeply appreciate the work we accomplish together and the impact it has on countless lives.

Don Elliman
Chancellor

John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MBA
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs
Dean, University of Colorado School of Medicine

Thomas Flaig, MD
Vice Chancellor for Research