Members of the WVU Research Office Leadership Team sent the update in a letter to those in the University research community Monday (Feb. 10).
Dear Colleagues,
On Friday, Feb. 7, the National Institutes of Health issued an announcement indicating its intent to reduce indirect cost recovery to a flat 15% from any previously negotiated rates. This affects new grants, as well as existing grants effective Monday (Feb. 10).
For West Virginia University, we project an annual loss of approximately $12 million, which would seriously inhibit our ability to perform research.
While direct costs cover researcher salaries, student stipends, supplies and some equipment, indirect costs cover the University’s expenses for heat and air, building maintenance, chemical and radiation safety and disposal, library access, IT access, cybersecurity, human subjects and animal welfare support, centralized research facilities such as the Health Sciences Center Cores, the Shared Research Facilities and High-Performance Computing, among others. These funds also support the administration and oversight of awards to ensure that funds are spent appropriately and responsibly.
WVU does not profit from indirect costs. Find an informative infographic.
Our leadership team and government liaisons are working with others to seek reconsideration. All universities have indirect costs, and our nation’s research universities cannot operate without this support. We are also aware that indirect rates for other federal agencies might also change.
This is a rapidly evolving situation, and we understand the concern it may generate.
We want you to know that we are swiftly engaging in local, peer and national conversations. We will update you as we learn more and as we have guidance regarding how these decisions may affect facets of work across the WVU System.
The Research Office has launched a webpage to provide updates and information regarding recent federal executive orders. If you have urgent questions, please contact OSP_Help@mail.wvu.edu.
Best regards,
The WVU Research Office Leadership Team