How Duke Leaders Support Research at Duke and Beyond

With the landscape of federal support of research starting to shift in 2025, Duke leaders have been working to preserve the social contract between the American people and academic research institutions – and help shape the future of the work that benefits us all.

With grants frozen or terminated, major proposed cuts to federal agencies, and increasing efforts to reduce federal support for research costs – particularly facilities and administrative (F&A) costs – the longstanding federal-university partnership faces serious challenges. Compounding these pressures, last year’s government shutdown created substantial backlogs in peer reviews, advisory council meetings, and other essential processes, causing indeterminate delays in funding decisions.

Duke wanted to more clearly demonstrate the impact of our research, launching the Duke Research Saves Lives campaign. The campaign featuring the voices of those benefitting from scientific advances while explaining complicated topics like F&A costs and how research grants work. The fact is, federal actions have a clear impact on individuals across North Carolina and the country, and this impact deserves to be highlighted.

Perhaps less visible has been the ongoing work by Duke leaders to engage in conversations with the federal government on the future of research and provide resources for the Duke community.

As the community gears up for its annual Duke Research Summit and looks to the future, we highlight the efforts of leaders championing lifesaving innovation for Duke and all universities.

Advocating at the Highest Levels

President Vincent Price and other Duke leaders have been involved with coordinated responses from national higher education groups, such as the Association of American Universities. These organizations have taken the lead on responding to policies that threaten the very core of research in the U.S. issue, like helping block implementation of the proposed cap on F&A costs.

“This is a critical moment for the future of American research and innovation,” said Price. “Our robust advocacy for the value and impact of federal research funding is taking place in tandem with internal efforts to provide guidance for affected researchers and generate alternative sources of supplemental funding for our research mission.”

Leaders like School of Medicine Dean Mary Klotman and Pratt School of Engineering Dean Jerome Lynch have been speaking directly with legislators at the state and national level to ensure they understand the weight of funding cuts and new scientific policies, while continuing to advocate for bolstering the federal funding of research at academic institutions.

In addition to talks about funding, new policies being proposed at the federal level could impact the research enterprise in America. These policy proposals include prioritizing distribution of research awards based on geography and not on scientific merit, as well as multi-year funding disbursals of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants. These types of policies could change how awards are made in ways that would hamper the research enterprise, even as scientific funding is protected, slowing down the vital process of discovery that delivers new cures to the bedside and technological advances to our daily lives. Duke leaders are ensuring federal decision makers understand the full potential impact of these policies.

Duke is in a unique position to deliver advanced care and lay the foundation for new treatments and health care breakthroughs.

“As an academic health center, Duke’s ability to deliver the most advanced care to our patients is inseparable from our ability to conduct extraordinary research,” said Klotman, who is also executive vice president for health affairs of Duke University. “Government support fuels the discoveries that become new diagnostics, treatments, and cures.”

Leaders have also expressed appreciation to federal champions who continued to fight to protect research. They have also looked for areas of agreement and opportunities to be a resource in policy decisions, always to ensure the best approaches have been put forward.

“When I visit our representatives in Congress, regardless of political party, I am always struck by how quickly we find common ground in recognizing that research is a public good worth investing in because it improves the lives of our communities,” said Lynch. “Our North Carolina delegation is especially interested in understanding how this public investment drives economic growth, improves the lives of North Carolinians, and helps protect our nation. Fortunately, Duke’s strong commitment to translating research into real-world outcomes makes these connections clear and compelling.”

Advocating for the importance of this work has successfully moved the dial to maintain vital support for portions of the federal research portfolio.

Earlier in 2026, Congress approved bipartisan government funding for federal agencies, such as the NIH and the National Science Foundation (NSF), which invested in research without cuts and rejected policies that could threaten the future of research. For the first time, language protecting F&A for federal funding agencies – even those outside the NIH – was included. However, how and at what pace these funds will be awarded is still uncertain.

Speaking up for the daily impact of research has also made an impact on the public. According to a January 2026 survey from the nonprofit Research!America, 92 percent of Americans are supportive of basic scientific research – an increase of seven percentage points compared to last year.

Helping the Research Enterprise Pivot

In addition to this advocacy work, Duke research leadership has been involved in helping shape the future of what the federal academic research partnership looks like, not just at Duke but nationwide.

Vice President for Research & Innovation Jennifer Lodge has been instrumental in developing a proposal for a new model for F&A costs. Called the Financial Accountability in Research (FAIR) model, it aims to address concerns shared by policymakers on the current model. This approach creates a more flexible reimbursement calculation instead of a set rate for each institution, funding the infrastructure of science in a more transparent way that captures the full cost and accountability of government funded research.

Closer to home, Duke leaders have created several internal funding opportunities to help researchers supplement lost or stalled funding as well as pivot their work to be competitive for other sources of funding.

Funding Opportunities for Pivoting Projects

“Duke faculty and research teams impacted by the changes in federal funding policies and priorities have responded with extraordinary resilience and creativity,” said Provost Alec Gallimore. “These programs are designed to support them and the continuity of their research, foster innovation, and strengthen competitiveness in this shifting environment.”

Through these vehicles, Duke has been able to support 42 projects across 5 schools to continue their important work during challenging times.

The work conducted by researchers at Duke saves, improves, and enriches lives for all of society. With the support of the federal government, Duke researchers have accomplished amazing things – and Duke leaders will continue to help create a sustainable future for this impactful work.