- Nationwide rallies in over 30 U.S. cities protest proposed science budget cuts
- Medical breakthroughs for Alzheimer’s and cancer at risk without federal funding
- NIH delays grants containing terms like “female,” stalling gender-specific research
- Former NIH director warns cuts could reverse decades of scientific progress
- Global solidarity with 30+ French cities joining Washington-led demonstrations
Hundreds of researchers, physicians, and advocates gathered at the Lincoln Memorial Friday, their lab coats gleaming under the statue of the president who established the National Academy of Sciences. The protest echoed Abraham Lincoln’s legacy as speakers like genome pioneer Francis Collins detailed how $2.6 billion in proposed NIH cuts could derail studies on neurodegenerative diseases. “We’re sacrificing cures for political theater,” Collins stated, noting 2023 saw 40% fewer approved clinical trials for rare cancers.
The administration’s scrutiny of grant language has created unprecedented hurdles, explained clinical psychology doctoral candidate Colette Delawalla. Her NIH proposal on alcohol use disparities between genders was flagged for using the word “woman” – a term now requiring 67% more bureaucratic justification per updated guidelines. This comes as female-specific conditions like endometriosis receive just 0.03% of annual research funding despite affecting 1 in 10 women.
Internationally, Parisian scientists staged a “March for Facts” outside the Pasteur Institute, where 1945 Nobel laureates once developed typhoid vaccines. Early-career French virologist Élodie Moreau shared how U.S. cuts could reduce global HIV prevention funding by 18%, risking 300,000 new infections annually. Meanwhile, NASA’s former chief Bill Nelson warned that defunding climate satellites might delay extreme weather predictions by 48 hours – critical time for evacuations.
As protesters dispersed, Delawalla emphasized this wasn’t just about labs: “When my aunt’s multiple sclerosis medication stops improving because trials lose funding, that’s a human cost no spreadsheet shows.” With 72% of breakthrough medications originating from publicly funded research, advocates stress that today’s cuts write tomorrow’s obituaries.