Vice President for Research Urges Congress to Support Vital Health Research

Stony Brook University’s Vice President for Research and Innovation, Kevin Gardner, visited Washington, D.C., on June 4 to urge Congressional support for the university’s vital health research. The visit comes as recent policy changes threaten crucial work at the university, a national leader in health research with breakthroughs in cancer, neuroscience and infectious diseases.

During the meetings, Gardner emphasized that Stony Brook’s partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is essential for advancing medical science and improving public health, as the university faces significant financial impacts due to potential indirect cost reimbursement caps on NIH funding. These cuts could lead to projected annual losses of $24 million. If these caps are applied across all federal agencies, losses could reach $33 million per year.

“We’ve already seen direct financial reductions from grant terminations, which has caused turmoil due to the lack of notice,” Gardner said. “These terminations have directly impacted 35 postdocs and graduate students, who have lost their salaries. NIH funding is indispensable for sustaining our vital research and its far-reaching benefits. Cuts to this funding would undermine critical research with national impact, halt progress on diseases affecting millions of Americans, and disrupt the education and training of early-career scientists.”

Gardner’s advocacy in Washington, D.C., echoes similar recent efforts by Stony Brook University’s Office for Research and Innovation to secure bipartisan support for critical research funding. Gardner met with the offices of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Chuck Schumer, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, Rep. Laura Gillen, Rep. Nick LaLota and Rep. Tom Suozzi. These meetings were coordinated by Stony Brook’s Office of Federal Relations, which works closely with Congress, the administration and federal agencies to promote the value of Stony Brook Research and advance the federal priorities of Stony Brook University.