Researchers across the country have found their work in limbo

Summary

Marketplace Morning Report: January 27, 2025

Host: Marketplace

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1. Biomedical Researchers Face Uncertainty Amid NIH Communication Blackout

Overview

In the latest episode of Marketplace Morning Report, host Sabri Benishore delves into the troubling scenario faced by biomedical researchers across the United States. These scientists, who rely heavily on funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are experiencing sudden cancellations of grant review meetings without any prior explanation or communication from the NIH. This uncertainty threatens the continuity of vital research projects and poses significant risks to the careers of these researchers.

Key Points

• Sudden Cancellations: Gregory Decker, an assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Utah, shares his experience of receiving a cryptic cancellation email for a grant review meeting he was scheduled to attend (01:38). This issue extends beyond Decker, affecting numerous scientists who are left in the dark about the reasons behind these abrupt changes.

• Impact on Funding and Research Continuity: Rebecca Pompano, a professor of chemistry and biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia, highlights the broader implications of these cancellations. Without timely grant reviews and funding renewals, ongoing research projects are at risk of being halted, forcing scientists to seek alternative employment to sustain their livelihoods (02:06).

• Training Disruptions: The issue is not limited to grant reviews alone. Pompano recounts how her training session to become a grant reviewer was canceled just 20 minutes before it was set to begin (02:14). This disruption hampers the ability of qualified individuals to participate in the critical evaluation of NIH funding applications.

• Economic and Scientific Consequences: Samantha Fields emphasizes the potential long-term effects of delayed funding, suggesting that even short-term pauses could lead to significant setbacks in scientific progress and the intellectual capital of the research community (02:37).

Quotes

• Gregory Decker: "It's not just grant review meetings... there's been no communication from the NIH about why or when they might be rescheduled." (01:48)

• Samantha Fields: "Even a delay of a month or several months in funding could make the difference between a scientist being able to stay working on a particular research project or having to leave to get a different job somewhere else." (02:37)

Conclusion

The sudden halt in NIH communications and grant reviews has created a state of limbo for biomedical researchers nationwide. The lack of transparency and clarity from the NIH raises concerns about the stability of funding mechanisms crucial for sustaining scientific advancements. As the largest global funder of biomedical research, any disruption in NIH operations could have far-reaching consequences for both the scientific community and public health.

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2. The Transformative Power of Mentorship: Enhancing Socioeconomic Mobility

Overview

Shifting focus from the challenges in biomedical research, the report also highlights the profound impact of mentorship programs on young individuals' socioeconomic mobility. David Brancaccio interviews Artis Stevens, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, to explore how mentorship initiatives contribute to economic equality and community well-being.

Key Points

• Long-Term Benefits of Mentorship: Artis Stevens presents data spanning three decades, revealing that mentees in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs are 20% more likely to attend college and experience a 15% increase in lifetime earnings compared to their peers who did not participate in such programs (04:20). These statistics underscore the significant role mentorship plays in elevating individuals from lower economic backgrounds to higher socioeconomic tiers.

• Economic Returns on Investment: Stevens discusses the cost-effectiveness of mentorship programs, indicating that the financial investment in mentoring a child is recouped within seven years through increased tax revenues and reduced dependency on social services (05:22). This return on investment (ROI) highlights mentorship not only as a social benefit but also as an economically sound strategy.

• Community and Societal Impact: Beyond individual gains, mentorship contributes to broader societal benefits. Stevens notes a correlation between mentorship and decreased crime rates, better health choices, and overall community well-being. These outcomes create a positive ripple effect, enhancing the quality of life and reducing public expenditures on various social issues (05:22).

• Reciprocal Benefits for Mentors: The program also benefits mentors, referred to as "bigs," who report that their relationships with mentees enrich their own lives. Stevens emphasizes that mentorship fosters a sense of community engagement and personal growth among volunteers, making it a mutually rewarding experience (06:36).

Quotes

• Artis Stevens: "We know that this investment not only works for young people, we know the investment works for the impact of our society and our economy and our workforce and our education system." (04:53)

• Artis Stevens: "The investment that actually cost to invest in a kid having mentorship... is recouped in just seven years. And then beyond those seven years, what you start to see is even more ROI that is now coming back into communities." (05:22)

• Artis Stevens: "Mentorship is reciprocal. It gives the idea of saying, yes, I can make a difference... but it's also, I become better, I become more exposed, I become more engaged in my community." (06:36)

Conclusion

Mentorship programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America are proving to be invaluable investments in both individual futures and societal health. By fostering educational attainment, increasing earnings potential, and enhancing community well-being, these programs offer a high ROI that benefits participants and the broader economy alike. The reciprocal nature of mentorship further amplifies its positive effects, making it a cornerstone strategy for addressing economic inequality and building stronger, more resilient communities.

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Final Thoughts

Today's episode of Marketplace Morning Report sheds light on two critical areas impacting the American landscape: the precarious state of biomedical research funding and the transformative potential of mentorship programs. While researchers grapple with uncertainty that could hinder scientific progress and public health advancements, mentorship initiatives offer a beacon of hope by empowering young individuals and fostering economic mobility. These stories collectively underscore the importance of stable funding mechanisms and the investment in human capital as essential pillars for a thriving society.

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For more insights and detailed reports, tune in to Marketplace Morning Report or visit Marketplace's website.

Transcript

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[Sabri Benishore]

Country have suddenly found their work in limbo. From Marketplace, I'm Sabri Benishore, in for David Brancaccio. Research scientists who get funding from the National Institutes of Health have had meetings about their grants canceled. This is happening at the same time as a ban on all external communication by the NIH and other agencies within Health and human services. Through February 1st, the NIH is the biggest funder of biomedical research in the world, and there is little clarity on why meetings are being canceled and whether it's just a temporary pause or something bigger. Marketplace's Samantha Fields has more.

[Gregory Decker]

This Thursday, Gregory Decker was supposed to be going to a meeting where he and a bunch of other scientists would review grant applications for NIH funding. But last week he got an email.

[Rebecca Pompano]

Kind of a a little cryptically saying that it was canceled.

[Gregory Decker]

Ducker is an assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Utah, where he does NIH funded research of his own. He says lots of scientists have had upcoming grant reviews canceled, and there's been no communication from the NIH about why or when they might be rescheduled.

[Rebecca Pompano]

People are anxious because the research is very dependent upon having funding renewed so that you can continue the studies.

[Gregory Decker]

It's not just grant review meetings. Rebecca Pompano, a professor of chemistry and biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia, was supposed to go to a training last week to be a grant reviewer.

[Samantha Fields]

But it was canceled too, 20 minutes before it was supposed to start.

[Gregory Decker]

Without that training, she and others won't be able to review NIH funding applications. And even if all of this is just temporary and everything is rescheduled soon.

[Samantha Fields]

Even a Delay of a month or several months in funding could make the difference between a scientist being able to stay working on a particular research project or having to leave to get a different job somewhere else. And so you would lose that ability to pick up the research again, even.

[Gregory Decker]

If the grant eventually comes through. I'm Samantha Fields for Marketplace. For 140 years, MultiCare has been in Washington prioritizing long term solutions, partnering with local communities and expanding access to care. Together, we're building a healthier future. Learn [e-mail].

[Sabri Benishore]

Having a mentor when you're young, receiving that investment of time has economic returns. It can actually increase socioeconomic mobility. That is the takeaway from decades of data from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Mentorship Network. Former mentees got higher salaries in their early 20s compared to others in their cohort. They had better college attendance and healthier social bonds, according to this report. Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccio recently spoke with the president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Artis Stevens. Here's David.

[David Brancaccio]

I mean, you've gotten people to go through, it looks like decades of data. And if people are concerned about economic inequality in society, apparently there's something you can do about it. Tell me more.

[Artis Stevens]

Yeah, that's absolutely it. For the mentorship, particularly on young people who had mentorship in our program. And this was data going back from 30 years ago of young people who are in our program with a control group of young people who are not the participants in our program experienced a 20%, it was 20% more likelihood to attend college, 15% boost in their earnings in lifetime. And, and then being able to see that these young people who were typically in lower economic ladders be able to climb the social economic ladder and move up to higher economic brackets.

[Rebecca Pompano]

Right.

[Artis Stevens]

So we know that this investment not only works for young people, we know the investment works for the impact of our society and our economy and our workforce and our education system. And that's why it's so pivotal and so important that more people are investing in mentorship in this country.

[David Brancaccio]

You've looked at the numbers, what it costs to do this kind of mentorship and what society gets back in terms of if people make more money, they pay more taxes and that contributes back. What did you find?

[Artis Stevens]

We saw really a focus on how it reduces the cost of social services. And it was based upon analysis that the government could recoup the cost. So the investment that actually cost to invest in a kid having mentorship. Right. Being in the mentorship program that Cost is recouped in just seven years. And then beyond, beyond those seven years, what you start to see is even more ROI that is now coming back into communities, now coming back into the tax base. What we're also seeing that's aligned with other research is that the more that we have mentorship and seeing young people move into these higher levels of socioeconomic growth and opportunities, you have communities that then are less likely to have crime, less likely to have certain types of health decisions and health choices that are risky for young people, whether it's substance abuse, things that have to do with mental health and taking care of well being. So there's a true ripple effect in terms of what an action, an investment of time in a young person's life can mean for the broader society and the work that we're doing to support everyone across this country.

[David Brancaccio]

And I know you're here representing Big Brothers, Big Sisters, but we should acknowledge that you can mentor in many different ways.

[Artis Stevens]

It's one of the things, what we talk about, this idea of access, right? Access is certainly for young people that have mentorship in their lives and they have positive adults, but access is also for the volunteer. 90% of our volunteers, what we call bigs, tell us that the young person made more impact on their lives than they made on theirs, right? That's their feel and their perception. So when we say that mentorship is powerful, it's reciprocal. So it gives the idea of saying, yes, I can make a difference to what you just said, but it's also, I become better, I become more exposed, I become more engaged in my community. I have something that empowers me to be not just a better person, but a better contributor to society as well. And those are the types of things we want to continue to build to your point, whether you come in and volunteer for Big Brothers, Big Sisters, or whether you're just a mentor in any aspect of your life, what we know is it works and it pays dividends and it has high roi.

[David Brancaccio]

Arta Stevens, President CEO of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America. Thank you so much.

[Artis Stevens]

Thank you for having me.

[Sabri Benishore]

Arthur Stevens was speaking with Marketplace's David Brancaccio there in New York. I'm Sabri Benishore with the Marketplace morning.

[Rebecca Pompano]

Report.

[Sabri Benishore]

From 8pm American Public Media.

[Rob]

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