The list of unjustified and damaging freezes imposed by the Trump Administration on research support from federal agencies continues to grow, with severe consequences for higher education. The Nevada Faculty Alliance urges NSHE institutions to pledge stop-gap funding to keep research ongoing in these vital programs affected by the administration's actions.
In addition to seeking pre-emptive injunctions, if current grants are disrupted by non-payment of pre-authorized expenditures, legal remedies for breach of contract should be pursued by NSHE and the Nevada Attorney General.
Following the freeze on the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the administration ordered the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to suspend funding activities that affect research going on across the country.
Not only are researchers stuck in limbo wondering about the future of programs that many of them have dedicated their entire careers to, but the economic impact to universities and their surrounding communities is potentially disastrous. In Nevada alone, the NSF funds up to $43 million in projects per year. NSHE's research universities and the Desert Research Institute are the recipients of the bulk of the money. This research develops technologies that help drive economic development and expands opportunities for students at all levels by sponsoring initiatives in STEM education for K-12 and college students.
Subjecting research to a political litmus test is a direct assault on the principles of Academic Freedom - the freedom to teach, the freedom to research, and the freedom to learn - that have made the American higher education system the world's gold standard. It will cripple work that benefits all Americans and will encourage our top researchers to look for opportunities outside of the United States, which would damage our standing in the world and devastate our economy. Most significantly, however, it is a betrayal of the thousands of students in Nevada and millions more nationwide who have invested substantial time and resources into their education, leaving them uncertain about the viability of their chosen fields.
The NFA stands with any researchers impacted by these decisions, and encourages campus administration, the NSHE regents, and state leaders to do all they can to encourage a timely resumption of vital NIH programs. We encourage education professionals to register their objections with the White House, and your representatives in Congress.
We urge all NFA members and students who might be impacted by any of the administration's funding suspensions, or who are aware of their effects on peers and students, to share their experiences and the extent of these impacts by submitting impact statements to their NFA Chapter Presidents. This information is vital for our NFA representatives to effectively communicate the adverse effects and repercussions of the NIH suspensions to our federal and state officials, as part of our ongoing advocacy efforts for our faculty and NSHE institutions. The NFA strongly opposes anticipatory obedience, such as self-identifying “DEI”-related grants prior to any specific agency direction.
