UMass Prez Warns Of Research Cuts
The scheduled federal tax increases and funding cuts known as the “fiscal cliff” would mean a loss of $32 million in research funding for the five-college UMass system, including a loss of $17 million at UMass Medical School in Worcester, the system’s president warned today.
Robert Caret’s comments, released today following his meeting with university system trustees, said research innovations and discoveries would be put at risk if Congress and the White House do not reach a deal to avoid the cuts, which would take effect Jan. 1.
“This is a make-or-break moment,” Caret said.
The majority of research done at the five campuses is funded by outside agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Defense.
The Worcester area has received, on average, about $160 million in health research money from the NIH in each of the last five federal fiscal cycles. The region received more than $135 million in fiscal 2009 and more than $153 million two years later thanks to federal stimulus money. But the funding level dropped back down to $134 million in fiscal 2012.
Financial aid to UMass students would also be impacted, Caret said. Though Pell Grants are not subject to the automatic cuts next year, federal financial aid would see an across-the-board 8.2-percent cut, which could mean mid-year reductions in students’ aid awards. Also, origination fees on federally guaranteed Stafford loans would jump from 1 percent to 7.6 percent. That difference amounts to more than $9,000 for students attending UMass Medical School, Caret noted.
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