Episode 130: A direct hit (with Holden Thorp)

Will a change in policy at the National Institutes of Health derail science in the US? How does the “indirect cost rate” for federal research grants fuel research? In this episode, we talk with Holden Thorp, a chemist and editor-in-chief of Science, about his recent editorial A Direct Hit. In it, he writes about the NIH announcing a significant cut to their indirect cost rate and the consequences to science in the US if this change takes effect. “Indirect” or “overhead” costs are the portions of grants that are allocated to support research grant but aren’t for the research itself. Things like grant administration, compliance, and research infrastructure are covered by these funds (check out the comic on this page by Matteo Farinella for details). These costs have traditionally been shared by universities and the federal government, but with the proposed cut to the indirect cost rate, universities may need to make up for the deficit or change their operations. We discuss with Holden how this change could have widespread impacts on scientific research as well as the economy including our competitiveness on the global stage.