By Anna Greene, PhD, NETRF Director of Research
The landscape of biomedical research is undergoing a seismic shift. This year alone, the NIH has awarded roughly 6,800 fewer grants than in 2023—a staggering $2 billion drop in funding. Nearly 800 NIH grants have been canceled. While the effects ripple through the entire research ecosystem, the consequences for the neuroendocrine tumor (NET) research community are concerning.
At NETRF, we hear firsthand from researchers navigating this funding storm. At one institution, a researcher had to lay off a promising NET trainee when their federal grant was frozen without warning. They now facing the heartbreaking question of how to sustain both their research program and their team without reliable funding. Some colleagues are leaving academia, or the country, altogether, while foreign-born scientists report growing anxiety about their future in the U.S. amid political and funding instability.
One prominent NET scientist also experienced a mid-project NIH grant reduction, jeopardizing years of progress and potential patient impact. Another physician-scientist saw their NIH award cut by 20% and delayed, forcing them to choose between clinical duties and research as hiring freezes evaporate protected time and prevent new personnel from joining their team.
Others have been barred from traveling to the annual NETRF Research Symposium due to broader institutional travel restrictions, hindering them from sharing their research progress, reducing networking and collaboration opportunities, and stalling the cross-pollination of ideas essential for advancing NET science.
Despite all of this, NET researchers remain committed. They push forward, knowing how urgently patients need answers. But they can’t do it alone.
Thank you to our community for supporting neuroendocrine cancer research through NETRF. Your commitment fuels a mission that has never been more vital. NETRF fulfills a critical need by funding the next generation of breakthroughs, sustaining research programs that are at risk, and supporting early-career scientists who are shaping the future of the field.
If you believe in a future where neuroendocrine cancer patients benefit from cutting-edge science, now is the time to act. By supporting NETRF, you make this research possible and restore hope for patients and their loved ones
View our 2024 Annual Report to see how your support is driving breakthroughs.