100+ UNC research projects lose federal funding

Inside Chapel Hill, the rhythmic chimes of the Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower still ring on the hour as they have for years.

But the historic landmark sits in a university now facing uncharted territory.

UNC-Chapel Hill, like many research institutions across the nation, is facing a reduction in federal grant funding measured in millions.

University officials told WRAL 109 research projects have seen cuts in federal funding so far. Overall, UNC has received 3,027 federal grant obligations amounting to $837,557,187. That’s 37 fewer grants, and more than $126,000,000 less compared to this same point last fiscal year.

The UNC projects impacted included a wide range of research focuses, including global health, various cancers, infectious diseases, and coastal resilience.

“We are largely grant funded in terms of the research that we do,” explained UNC’s Vice Chancellor for Research Penny Gordon-Larsen. “Our federal funding is really critical for us in terms of the mission to serve the state and the citizens of the world.”

Gordon-Larsen first stepped into the role of the university’s lead research administrator in 2022, before being permanently appointed in 2023. Before that, she spent more than 20 years as a researcher at the university, where she also served as an associate dean for research at Gillings School of Global Public Health.

She noted the global pandemic and recent reductions to funding both caused significant impacts to the research enterprise.

When asked if she anticipated the breadth of the current challenges facing research institutions like UNC, she told WRAL, “No!”

“Everybody knows things change and things change under presidential administrations, so this is not out of the realm of the unexpected, however, the significant budget cuts are really concerning," she continued. "We do have to consider what that means for the university.”

Gordon-Larsen said her goal is to “carry the university forward,” noting the biggest concern is how future federal budgets and a 15% reimbursement cap could affect science nationwide.

She shared the university created its first ever research strategic plan to help guide difficult decisions the $1.55 billion research enterprise may face.

“We developed that over the course of about two years with the input of a lot of stakeholders across campus,” Gordon-Larsen said. “My goals really relate to the successes and hopes and operations that we have laid out in those strategic goals.”

Gordon-Larsen stated any cut is a big deal to the principal investigators on the project. So far, the university has committed to ensuring principal personnel involved in “compliance and regulatory functions” are able to continue their work.

“It has been a lot to rethink how we continue our excellence and position the university for growth when we’re seeing issues at the federal level,” she said.

Part of the solution will likely include looking for alternative sources of funding beyond federal funding.

“For each of our deans, and center and institute directors, they need to be thinking about their own workforce, and for the areas that are strategic priorities — how do they continue to maintain those teams so that when things do get funded, or when a termination is reversed, those teams are already in place and have the capacity to keep going,” Gordon-Larsen said. “It’s a lot of complicated pieces that our university leaders are thinking about.”

Gordon-Larsen said other leaders will also need to determine which projects are most likely to receive federal funding.  

“We are doing some scenario planning about larger cuts that may come our way,” she explained. “At the same time, we’re thinking about the strategic investments that we need to make to ensure our success. Those are in the talented people that we have here and they’re also in the projects that we think are high priority and are also likely to be targets of future research opportunities.”

When asked how even a six-month stop-work order could impact a project, Gordon-Larsen explained it could have devastating results.

“Patients wait sometimes for years to get in on a clinical trial that has some sort of life-saving therapy that they’re holding out hope for. When they finally make their way into a trial and that trial is put on hold, it means they don’t get that therapy,” Gordon-Larsen said. “In some cases, it’s a life-or-death situation. It is a really critical issue.”

As far as researchers, she said a stop work order could be let go. 

“If they can no longer have dollars to support their salaries and have to be let go, that’s a really sad thing for a staff member," she added. "It also means that then there is a pause in the skill level and training for the people on the project.”

Beyond health care, terminations of research grants can cause economic impacts statewide.

UNC-Chapel Hill’s research enterprise generates roughly $3 billion for North Carolina’s economy each year through jobs, purchases, and investments.

The university employs more than 11,000 researchers across 95 counties, which purchase more than $120 million in goods and services collectively from more than 3,200 North Carolina businesses.

Despite the unknowns, Gordon-Larsen told WRAL she is certain research at UNC will continue to push innovation forward.

“I do think we are fairing well compared to other institutions that I talk to,” she said. “I think the collaborative spirit we have on campus really helps because people help each other out.”

The research leader encouraged younger scientists to still feel inspired to pursue careers in science and medicine.

“It is important to recognize there is still a major demand for doing work on access to health care, access to resources, access to quality of life supports, and the barriers to access are really critical,” shared Gordon-Larsen.

When asked about how the current political landscape could impact funding moving forward, Larsen shared, “Our country really rests its national security, its health and wellbeing, its economic property – on research. We just have to continue to invest in it.”

She added, “I know congress is incredibly supportive and we will be okay. It may take a while for us to get back on our feet, but there’s a lot of hope I think in the future.”