Chris_Halkides
Penultimate Amazing
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2009
- Messages
- 12,604
David Gorski quoting an article in Science: "The White House appears to have a new target for its cuts to research funding: Grants linked to COVID-19, which President Donald Trump and his appointees have decided are a waste of money because the pandemic is over. Science has learned that grant termination letters went out last night to principal investigators of 29 awards made by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), including nine grants that were part of a program hoping to deliver antiviral drugs to prevent future pandemics. “The end of the pandemic provides cause to terminate COVID-related grant funds,” the notification states. “These grant funds were issued for a limited purpose: to ameliorate the effects of the pandemic. Now that the pandemic is over, the grant funds are no longer necessary.”
Dr. Gorski continued "Never has the NIH suddenly canceled such a large number of grants. Indeed, the NIH rarely cancels grants, and then usually only for malfeasance, such as misappropriation of funds or scientific fraud, and then only after an extensive investigation. What is happening here is that grants that have, in essence, “banned words” in their titles, abstracts, or other documents are being targeted for cancelation." Grants involving mRNA vaccines appear to be targeted also.
New antiviral drugs or a new mRNA vaccine may play a role in the next pandemic.
Dr. Gorski continued "Never has the NIH suddenly canceled such a large number of grants. Indeed, the NIH rarely cancels grants, and then usually only for malfeasance, such as misappropriation of funds or scientific fraud, and then only after an extensive investigation. What is happening here is that grants that have, in essence, “banned words” in their titles, abstracts, or other documents are being targeted for cancelation." Grants involving mRNA vaccines appear to be targeted also.
New antiviral drugs or a new mRNA vaccine may play a role in the next pandemic.