In a significant move for public health and education, Attorney General Jeff Jackson successfully secured a temporary restraining order against the National Institutes of Health's sudden funding cuts. The NIH, which is responsible for a substantial share of federal funding for medical research within the U.S., was planning to slash indirect cost rates involved in supporting various research projects critical to the health sector.
The decision, announced last Friday, could have significant consequences, particularly in the areas of clinical trials and medical research. For instance, North Carolina was awarded over a billion dollars from the NIH for the fiscal year 2024. "This attempt to slash funding for research awards that have already been granted violates the law and would cost North Carolina’s public universities hundreds of millions of dollars every year going forward," Attorney General Jackson said, in a statement obtained by the AG's office. "It would permanently diminish higher education in our state and severely damage many of our state’s core industries, causing major layoffs."
Furthermore, without the intervention of a temporary restraining order, vital clinical trials and research could have been suspended, creating substantial layoffs, and shuttering labs, thus hampering advancements in treatment for diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. The court ruling in favor of Attorney General Jackson represents a significant step in blocking what he refers to as federal overreach.
Jackson was not alone in his legal battle against the NIH's proposed cuts, as attorneys general from 21 other states including Massachusetts, Illinois, and New York, rallied behind the cause. These states faced similar threats to their public universities and research institutions due to the NIH policy shift. "The court was right to stop this federal overreach," Jackson continued, "and I’ll keep fighting to protect our state’s economic future," according to the Attorney General's office.
The temporary restraining order serves as a measure against actions that Jackson and his colleagues believe may negatively impact public health and research. The lawsuit and related legal documents are accessible through links on the North Carolina Department of Justice website, providing transparency and keeping the public informed about the ongoing legal processes affecting health and educational infrastructure.
