Given the latest changes in research funding initiatives directed by the U.S. federal government, it is not surprising that many of us within the scientific community feel that our life’s work is under attack. The elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies in all hiring and funding opportunities and the proposed drastic reduction in indirect costs threaten the development of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce at universities, research institutes and hospitals all across the United States. But for minority-serving institutions (MSIs)—higher-education colleges and universities that primarily serve minority communities—the proposed federal funding cuts present an existential crisis.
MSIs, made up of Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), tribal colleges and universities, Asian-American and Pacific-Islander-serving institutions and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), have become powerhouses for successfully training and increasing the ranks of underrepresented groups in neuroscience research and other STEM fields. MSIs have significantly enhanced their research output with funding secured through federally funded programs. Notably, earlier this year, Howard University made history by becoming the first premier HBCU to achieve R1 research status, a designation given to fewer than 150 academic institutions in the U.S. with the highest levels of research activity.
This remarkable achievement and the advances of research programs at MSIs across the country are now at serious risk. Most MSIs rely heavily on federal funding and do not have large endowments to fill financial gaps. Drastic cuts to their funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) could effectively end biomedical research at these institutions.
T
ake my institution, the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras Campus (UPR-RP), as an example. UPR-RP is the leading research institution in Puerto Rico and one of the top HSIs in the U.S. According to 2021 NSF data, the university ranked second among U.S. undergraduate institutions for awarding degrees to Hispanic students who go on to receive doctoral degrees, and first for graduating Hispanic women who go on to receive doctoral degrees.In 2024, UPR-RP secured more than $13 million in NIH funding and $8.3 million from NSF. No other institution on the island, public or private, holds such a significant external STEM funding portfolio. Historically, UPR-RP has secured millions of dollars in highly competitive federal grants, thanks to researchers across a variety of disciplines. It serves as a key training ground for future neuroscientists in Puerto Rico, housing two important neuroscience training programs, the Neuroscience Research Opportunities to Increase Diversity (NeuroID) and the Neuroscience Graduate, Resilience, Affirmation and Diversity Program (NeuroGRAD).
As principal investigator for both programs, I have seen firsthand the transformative effects they have had on trainees’ career paths and our institution’s scientific and financial infrastructure. Through NeuroID, we have successfully supported the training of 107 undergraduate Hispanic students since 2010. We have established a comprehensive program that gives undergraduate students the opportunity to assess different aspects of a research career in neuroscience and developed a mentorship system that supports students in their path toward becoming neuroscientists. NeuroID has also helped us build a neuroscience community on the island. Thus far, 75 percent of our fellows have pursued doctoral degrees in neuroscience; 94 percent have presented their research results in scientific meetings; and all of those who have completed their Ph.D. degrees are successfully employed in STEM and biomedical fields.
NeuroID has transformed the lives of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and has been extremely effective in securing neuroscience research opportunities never before available for our population. And this success led to the development of other NIH-funded training initiatives at UPR-RP, including the Increasing Diversity in Genomics for the Next Generation (IDGeNe) program, which provides financial support for students working on genomics-related research. This shows that the impact of NeuroID in our undergraduate population goes even beyond neuroscience.
NeuroGRAD likewise supports a cadre of promising neuroscience graduate scholars within our institution in collaboration with R1 neuroscience institutions in the U.S. This program provides each fellow a custom-made mentoring network based on their research interests and supports yearly visits to an external mentor’s laboratory to strengthen networking and research activities. As part of the program milestones, NeuroGRAD fellows must successfully submit NIH National Research Service Award fellowship proposals, attend intensive professional development activities, visit their external mentor’s lab and work on submitting their first publication.
These programs provide invaluable experiences for hundreds of students and contribute to scientific progress at MSIs—but they do so much more. Research projects funded by the NIH, NSF and other federal agencies directly affect communities by addressing public health, technology and sustainability issues, particularly among vulnerable populations. These benefits are now at serious risk. The February executive order to limit indirect costs to 15 percent would mean an estimated 69 percent reduction in NIH indirect costs at our institution. This level of funding cuts would render our institution’s ability to maintain its research infrastructure, recruit new students and support STEM graduate programs virtually unsustainable.
The drastic reduction in indirect funding will not only harm STEM research but weaken the innovation economy and make the U.S. less competitive globally. Diversity in STEM strengthens global economic competitiveness and ensures that science and innovation benefit all of society. I urge the federal government to reconsider these budget cuts and to prioritize funding as an essential investment in scientific development and the future of the country. I call on the scientific community, policymakers and the public to defend equitable access to STEM education and research at all academic institutions in Puerto Rico and throughout the U.S.
This work was written outside of the author’s role as professor of neuroscience at the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras Campus and does not necessarily reflect the views of her employer.
