The Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), representing over 165 research-intensive universities, issued a formal statement opposing proposed caps on tuition support for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). COGR acknowledges the importance of the NRSA program to both NIH and the academic community, noting that its funding is vital for training future U.S. scientists. The organization expresses concern that current financial pressures, specifically the leveling off of program funding while tuition and health insurance costs increase, could force universities to absorb substantial additional costs if a fixed cap or allowance is imposed. COGR argues that such a shift in the financial burden would necessitate difficult prioritization within university budgets, potentially reducing participation in the NRSA program, particularly at institutions where costs exceed new caps. This, they argue, may undermine NIH's broader objectives, including efforts to foster interdisciplinary research and enhance clinical and translational science training.
COGR further contends that a one-size-fits-all cap or allowance would not account for the wide variation in costs among universities, resulting in inequitable outcomes and possibly deterring some institutions from participating in NRSA-supported training. Instead, COGR supports retaining the existing funding formula, which involves a base amount plus a percentage of excess costs, as a more balanced approach to sharing financial responsibility between NIH and universities. The statement concludes with an expression of appreciation for the opportunity to provide input and a commitment to ongoing dialogue during the NIH Town Hall meeting.
