Research Triangle universities such as the University of North Carolina State, Duke University and The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill are all facing research funding cuts in the hundreds of millions. According to AP News, Duke will take the largest hit out of the three schools as they received almost 600 million dollars in funding last year. This is not just affecting Research Triangle Park, there are funding cuts all over the country.
Those funding cuts don’t just affect the university but also professors and students. Universities around the United States are initiating hiring freezes and could slow research. Professors at a university have two jobs, the first is teaching students, the second is researching. Without the funding from the federal government, many of these professors may not be able to conduct their research.
The University of North Carolina medical school and Duke medical school are the two leaders of medical research in North Carolina. In general, Universities play a substantial role in medical research and breakthroughs. According to the UNC School of Medicine, major cutting edge developments have been made in cancer treatments using T(CAR-T) cell therapy and T(NKT) cells. T cells are a type of white blood cell that play a major role in creating the immune system. Without federal funding, the progress at which these medical discoveries are made could change. Funding to medical research like this research done at UNC Chapel Hill is now being cut.
NC State, Duke and UNC have all initiated hiring freezes and expect that over 25,000 jobs around North Carolina will be lost. With this research and hiring halted and slowed, Duke says that the North Carolina economy is at risk of taking over a five billion dollar hit.
Students in medical school could also be affected by the loss of funding. An anonymous first year student currently attending UNC Chapel Hill medical school says that the future is unknown, describing that their professors are scared they’re going to lose their jobs and students are scared they might lose vital experience they need to become a good doctor. For example, UNC holds research programs for their medical students over the summer such as CMSRP and MSTAR. These programs help guide students towards a field that they are interested in and provide these students opportunities and experience that are vital in helping students match with their residency. These funding cuts could limit these experiences that prepare them for their future jobs in the medical field.
Funding cuts to university research may slow progression in medical research. Universities provide research breakthroughs that can help the country advance and improve technologically. According to NPR, these budget cuts will also cause a potential loss of jobs and a billion dollar effect on the economy.
