Special to Sun
Councilor Sharon Durkan, alongside her colleagues, introduced and unanimously passed a resolution on Feb. 26 condemning federal cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, emphasizing the devastating impact such reductions would have on Boston’s world-class research institutions, economy, and public health.
“Boston is at the heart of global medical innovation, and these reckless cuts to NIH threaten to derail life-saving research, eliminate jobs, and weaken our city’s leadership in healthcare and biotech,” Councilor Durkan said in a press release. “We cannot afford to stand by while critical funding for cancer treatments, Alzheimer’s research, and other groundbreaking medical advancements are gutted.”
Boston has been a leader in winning NIH grant awards for decades, with institutions like Mass General Brigham, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Boston Children’s Hospital utilizing those resources to drive cutting-edge medical discoveries. The city’s research ecosystem receives approximately $2.5 billion annually through NIH, supporting over 4000 projects and contributing over $5 billion to the local economy.
“Institutions are taking preemptive steps to cushion the blow but real damage is already being done and a chilling effect is reverberating across the industry,” added Councilor Breadon, the resolution’s co-sponsor.
Councilor John FitzGerald voiced his wholehearted support as third co-sponsor for the resolution stating,
“In District 3, with the Boston Medical Center and of course the loss of The Carney Hospital recently as well, we’ve seen what the impacts of losing health care and funding for health initiatives can do. We’re dealing with the fallout of that right now,” Councilor FitzGerald said in the press release.
Councilor Durkan also announced plans to travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with federal representatives and research leaders to discuss how Boston can continue fighting for NIH funding.
“We must be relentless in protecting this investment—not just for Boston, but for the millions of patients and families whose lives depend on our societal commitment to medical progress,” she said.