DMRF Urges Trump Administration to Retain Indirect Cost Reimbursements from NIH

Rare Disease Research Will be Significantly Impacted by Change in Reimbursement Levels

CHICAGO, IL—The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) joins with other national voluntary health organizations in calling for the Trump Administration to reverse its decision to change indirect cost reimbursements from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  These reimbursements are a longstanding practice for institutions receiving support for crucial medical research.  Such an abrupt change will cause significant damage to the progress of all medical research. Research brings hope to those people and their loved ones waiting for answers. Time is critical for many, and this decision will greatly impede the rate of discovery. Moreover, rare disease research will be more significantly impacted, because institutions and investigators will need to pursue the larger grants that more prevalent health issues attract in order to offset the reduction in allowable indirect expenses.

Additionally, this decision places a hardship on smaller patient organizations that have historically provided smaller grants to younger investigators for proof-of-concept research.  Such more-modest grants have been important to generating preliminary data that is relied upon when applying for more robust funding.  Grants such as these have allowed for no- or reduced indirect allowances to stretch these precious dollars further.  Given the administration’s cuts, institutions will prohibit such practices from going forward, jeopardizing smaller grants altogether.

The United States of America is the global leader in biomedical research. This decision to change NIH’s indirect cost reimbursements is not putting America or Americans first, but rather crippling a demonstrated national strength.

About the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation

The mission of the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) is to promote and support basic, clinical and translational research into the causes and mechanisms of the dystonias with the goal of developing more effective treatments and ultimately a cure; to promote dystonia awareness and provide educational resources; and to support the needs and welfare of affected individuals and their families.  The DMRF has served the dystonia community for nearly 50 years and remains steadfast in our dedication to achieving our mission.

For more information on the DMRF, please contact Janet Hieshetter at jh*********@*****************on.org.