The AAMC joined other plaintiffs in an appellate brief (PDF) urging the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to affirm a permanent injunction now in place against the Feb. 7 NIH rate change notice that would have cut billions in research grant funding [refer to Washington Highlights, Feb. 14].
The brief argues that the district court had jurisdiction to hear the case and that the enjoined cap on reimbursement of facilities and administrative (F&A) costs violates the current fiscal year’s appropriations law, agency regulations, and is arbitrary and capricious. The brief further highlights the dramatic impacts that would have resulted from the rate cut, including disruption of clinical trials, hiring freezes and layoffs, and a decline in the United States’ position as world leader in cutting-edge medical research.