By Elise Morgan, Dean ad interim
Shortly after arriving in Washington, the new administration began to withhold research funding from many research universities, and it has fired thousands of people working at the government agencies that fund university research. These actions threaten America’s economy and standing in the world.
For decades, American universities and the federal government have partnered to produce life-changing discoveries, not just in medicine but transportation, communication, water and air quality, nutrition, security, and more. In this partnership, hatched shortly after World War II, the government provides funding to university researchers through a highly competitive review process, and these researchers use the funds to carry out projects for the public good. Disrupting this compact will upend our country’s prosperity and quality of life.
There are two agencies that fund the bulk of research at BU Engineering and many other engineering schools around the country – the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NIH funds health-related research that has played critical roles in advancing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions. More than 99% of all medications approved by the FDA from 2010-2019 were developed through NIH-funded research. Largely through NIH-funded research, Americans’ life expectancy has increased six years since 1970. The economic impact of the dollars from NIH is clear: NIH funding supports jobs in every state and is estimated to generate $2.56 in new economic activity for every $1 spent.
Professor Ed Damiano in our Biomedical Engineering department used NIH funding to develop the bionic pancreas, a wearable device that mimics the natural pancreas, adjusting blood glucose levels up or down every few minutes in Type1 diabetics. His device is now commercially available through a company he founded.
NSF primarily funds fundamental, or “basic science,” research in a wide array of scientific disciplines
Although fundamental research is not tailored towards immediate application, the discoveries and innovations it produces have shaped the world we know today. Artificial intelligence, 3D printing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and semiconductors are just a few examples of industries that were built on the foundation of decades of NSF-funded research. These products and industries employ hundreds of thousands of people, bring new products and technologies to consumers, and enhance America’s standing as a global leader and economic powerhouse.
Distinguished Professor of Photonics and Optoelectronics Emeritus Theodore Moustakas is widely known as an inventor of the blue LED, a critical component in the screens of smart phones, laptops, tablets and other devices that we interact with every day. His research was funded in part by the NSF.
Like the bionic pancreas, the complexity behind the technology and manufacturing of blue LEDs and other revolutionary inventions necessitated decades of research, often by many hundreds of researchers at many different universities. For this reason, the private sector is not equipped to take on what the US government has long recognized as the essential job of funding university research.
Funding for research comes in two forms, direct and indirect, and both are indispensable
Direct costs pay the stipends of student researchers, supply costs, and other project-specific needs. Indirect costs, also known as facilities and administrative costs, pay for items that are not allocated on a project-specific basis, such as utilities in the research labs and staff responsible for maintenance and safety. Universities already shoulder some of the burden of paying facilities and administrative costs, but the federal government must do the rest and must continue funding the direct costs. Otherwise, the pace of innovation will falter.
Our faculty and students engage every day in research that is in the public interest. This research is funded by NIH, NSF, and other federal agencies, such as the Department of Defense and Department of Energy. Cuts to federal research funding imperil the next generation of scientists and engineers at a time when the demand for their skills is at an all-time high.
The partnership between the federal government and universities to fund research has produced dramatic improvements in our health, safety, and quality of life. Sustaining this partnership is necessary to ensure our nation’s continued prosperity for many years to come.
This essay appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of the Boston University Engineer magazine.