What states receive the most per capita funding from the National Institutes of Health?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
Why do countries like the U.S. fund things like science and medical research?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The NIH sends grants to universities, hospitals, and medical schools across the country. Last year the National Institutes of Health had a budget of $48 billion. According to the visual above, what states receive the most per capita funding from the National Institutes of Health?
According to the visual above and this NIH website, approximately how much money per person did your state receive from the NIH this year?
How does NIH funding and the visual above illustrate the concept of federalism?
Last year the total U.S. federal budget last year was over $6.1 Trillion. The NIH received less than 1% of total U.S. federal spending. The NIH was responsible for a huge number of major scientific accomplishments, including the discovery of fluoride to prevent tooth decay, the use of lithium to manage bipolar disorder, and the creation of vaccines against hepatitis, Haemophilus influenzae (HIB), and human papillomavirus (HPV). Recently, discoveries at NIH led to progress in creating vaccines for COVID-19, discovered a drug that delays the onset of Type 1 diabetes, created the MRI, and created multifocal contact lenses slow the progression of nearsightedness in children, and pioneered research in understanding and treating Alzheimer's disease. What do you think is the greatest achievement of the NIH?
The Trump administration announced a $4 billion cut to funding for the National Institutes of Health, a decision that doctors and scientists from the nation’s leading research hospitals and universities said would have a devastating effect on studies aimed at finding treatments for diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. One of the most important jobs of any government is to protect and promote the health of its citizens. How do you think these massive cuts will impact Americans’ health?
The mission of the NIH is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. Every $1 invested in NIH-funded research generates $2.5 in economic activity. invests more than $163 billion annually in U.S.-based R&D, contributes more than $69 billion to the GDP, and creates more than 7 million jobs in the U.S. How do you think that slashing funding to the NIH will impact America economically?
Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, a Duke University professor of medicine who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2012, said “I think the American people need to understand how devastating it would be if this goes through,” Dr. Lefkowitz said. “A lot of research would just have to stop; I can’t imagine that the shortfall could be met from other sources.” Do you think that most people who voted for President Trump were hoping to strip billions from research into cancer and heart disease?
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump Administration’s steep cuts to NIH funding after 22 states sued to stop the change. The ruling by District Judge Angel Kelley halts the policy pending further court arguments from states and the Trump administration. A hearing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 21. How does this illustrate the concept of checks and balances.
Vice President JD Vance declared that “judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power,” delivering a warning shot to the federal judiciary in the face of court rulings that have, for now, stymied aspects of President Trump’s agenda. Elon Musk called for impeaching federal judges following rulings that impeded the Trump administration agenda. Only 15 federal judges have been impeached since 1803. The process is typically reserved for severe offenses – not policy disagreements. Experts warn that abusing impeachment power could diminish the federal government’s system of checks and balances. Perhaps the loudest critic of recent court orders is Elon Musk, who was particularly bothered by the court's oversight of him and the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. “There needs to be an immediate wave of judicial impeachments, not just one,” he posted on social media. House Republicans are planning to introduce long-shot articles of impeachment against at least two of the federal judges who have blocked President Trump's efforts to upend the federal government. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) is working on articles of impeachment against U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr., who ordered the administration to lift its federal spending freeze, Clyde's office confirmed to Axios. Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) has said he plans to introduce articles of impeachment against District Court Judge Paul Engelmayer, who blocked DOGE from accessing Treasury records, on similar grounds. Clyde and Crane would need majorities in the House to impeach the two judges and and two-thirds majorities in the Senate to convict them. There are only 53 Senate Republicans. Would you vote to impeach these federal judges?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Take two minutes and register to vote online. Contact your U.S. Senators or House member and let them know what you think about NIH cuts.
Get Creative
I asked Gemini AI to write an ode to the medical research and the NIH. Here’s what it came up with. See what you can come up with to celebrate sceince.
Ode to Medical Research and the NIH
In halls of white, where minds ignite,
A beacon shines, both day and night.
The quest for health, a noble aim,
A battle fought in science's name.
With steady hand and curious eye,
Researchers toil beneath the sky
Of knowledge vast, a boundless sea,
Where hidden truths await to be
Unlocked by those with hearts so bold,
Whose stories never can be told
Enough, of triumphs hard-won,
And battles lost ere day is done.
The NIH, a guiding star,
A network reaching near and far,
Supports the quest, the eager plea,
For answers that will set us free
From maladies that bind and blight,
And steal away the precious light.
Funding flows, a vital stream,
To nourish hope and fuel the dream.
From tiny cells to complex code,
The secrets of life are bestowed
Upon those who seek with open mind,
And leave no stone of truth behind.
The breakthroughs come, a sudden gleam,
A triumph o'er a dark extreme,
A victory hard-won and dear,
That banishes both doubt and fear.
So raise a glass, let voices ring,
To those who strive, to those who bring
New hope to all, a brighter day,
Through medical research, come what may.
And NIH, we sing your praise,
For lighting up the darkest maze.
Learn More*
Learn about the amount of NIH funding each state received last year.
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