Dear Members of the Brown Community,

Over the past few days, the University has taken action to support two legal filings to protect essential funding that fuels Brown's research. We are writing to share how Brown continues to advocate strongly for the federal funding that has been placed in jeopardy by recent federal actions, including Friday's troubling directive from the National Institutes of Health that severely limits a critical source of funding.

On Sunday, on behalf of the University, Vice President for Research Greg Hirth submitted a declaration in support of a filing made today, Feb. 10, by the Rhode Island attorney general asking a federal court to halt the implementation of a 15% cap on the amount that institutions of higher education can recover in indirect costs from the NIH. This followed a declaration the University filed Friday, Feb. 7, in support of a separate court filing by almost two dozen state attorneys general to ensure the continued flow of research funding from all federal agencies to current grantees, including Brown.

In both of these declarations supporting immediate action against the federal directives, we shared the real-world implications for Brown should these federal directives be implemented. Members of our community no doubt will be deeply concerned by the potential losses in research, jobs and essential operations that would be put in jeopardy if these directives are permitted to stay in place.

We want to make very clear that we do not want any of these outcomes. This is why we are doing all we can to advocate against it. But the challenges are real. 

Across all federal grants, Brown’s full cost of research is already significantly more than what is covered by sponsored direct costs and indirect cost recovery. In the 2022 fiscal year, for example, the full cost of research exceeded sponsored direct costs and indirect cost recovery by $66 million.

For those in our community who may not be familiar with the role of indirect costs supported by federal grant agencies, this is the funding that pays for the facilities, electricity and other essential infrastructure that helps to make research possible. It also supports the systems for a university's compliance with extensive federal regulations. Direct costs pay the expenses for our amazing researchers – the people advancing medical and health breakthroughs – as well as funding their equipment and research materials; however, the indirect costs support the necessary ecosystem that allows them to pursue their pioneering work.

In our filing today, we make the case that a 15% indirect cost rate would force many of Brown’s current research projects and clinical trials in medicine and health to cease abruptly. This would have a negative impact on critical research directed at major health challenges, including cancer, aging, dementia, heart disease, immune disorders, mental health disorders, and childhood illnesses. Clinical trials conducted at or through Brown, or involving Brown faculty, bring life-saving medicines to those who are battling cancer, heart disease, opioid addiction, and mental health conditions, as well as vulnerable patients who are newborn, children, or pregnant.

But the impact extends past the research itself. We felt it was important to detail how the University's plans for constructing the Danoff Laboratories life sciences research facility in the Jewelry District would no longer be feasible, and there would be serious implications for jobs at Brown that support our research enterprises and facilities. Beyond Brown, the reduced use of research supplies, equipment, and services would immediately affect major suppliers and have an impact on the entire supply chain supporting the research enterprise. Again, we don't want any of this to happen, so we are advocating against it.

Safeguarding funds from all grant agencies

In Friday's declaration, the University made the case for ensuring the continued flow of funding from all grant agencies, including NIH, but also the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, NASA and other federal agencies. Brown received more than $250 million in federal funding in Fiscal Year 2024 from these agencies, and in last week's declaration we provided examples of federally funded research that serves national interests. 

This ranges from School of Engineering researchers developing technology to make manned undersea vehicles more effective; to School of Public Health scholars working on clinical trials focused on dementia, and on research to prevent heart disease; to NASA’s Rhode Island Space Grant Program, which advances STEM studies at all education levels to support NASA’s space exploration and research. The NASA program is a consortium of partners that includes most of Rhode Island's public and private colleges and universities, and we continue to advocate for safeguarding funding for all of our state's institutions of higher education.

You may read more about the two declarations Brown has filed in support of both legal actions, including accessing links to both declarations, in an article posted on the Brown News site.

As we shared in our Jan. 28 communication to the campus, Brown will always follow the law. At the same time, we believe that it's important for the University to advocate against actions that compromise our mission of education and research. A strong administrative leadership team continues to consult with the academic deans as we monitor how policy statements from federal agencies affect our community. We also continue to partner with educational associations to understand how we can respond to the evolving landscape on federal guidance, which may include collaborating on relevant legal actions. 

Please continue to watch the Division for Research website for updates. As Greg Hirth wrote to faculty, staff and graduate students in Today@Brown on Sunday, researchers planning to submit an NIH grant within the next two weeks should contact the Division of Research. The Division of Research will participate in the Faculty Town Hall on Recent Federal Government Actions being hosted at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, by the Office of the Provost and Faculty Executive Committee. As noted in yesterday's announcement, faculty received an invitation from the FEC last week. 

Even as we continue to navigate through a period of high uncertainty, the University is committed to supporting our community. Much is at stake, and that's why we will continue to do what we can to safeguard the people and operations at the core of the work we do every day.

Christina H. Paxson
President

Francis J. Doyle III
Provost