In a letter released to friends of the University on Thursday, IU President Michael McRobbie addressed the recently proposed federal budget cuts and the ways they could affect higher education and IU as a whole.
McRobbie first outlined how fiscal-year budgets are approved by Congress with input — but no binding guidance — from the executive branch. While the budget proposal from the Trump administration will be taken into account, he said even Congress cannot cement spending amounts without first submitting their plans through a series of appropriations for the specific programs and agencies.
He then explained how the proposed cuts to non-defense spending could change work the University is already doing and described how he thought the affected areas would best emphasize the importance of their research.
The proposed budget would take away $6 billion in funding granted to the National Institute of Health in December through the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, which was an act that IU co-sponsored. McRobbie said this cut would halt the momentum gained around research already underway on diseases and disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.
The proposed change in spending amounts would eliminate the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI international exchange program.
McRobbie said these programs provide the federal government with experienced and knowledgeable personnel, especially in the intelligence sector. Cutting these programs would threaten IU and other universities’ access to global studies and language experts.
McRobbie said the University has reached out to stakeholders in the community, state and country to help them in their efforts.
He also said if researchers had concerns about the funding for their work, they should reach out to IU’s government relations staff in Washington. He said the same to professional organizations coordinating a jointly-signed letter.
“We believe that our efforts and those of hundreds of other institutions and organizations around the nation, as well as the work of thousands of citizens, will help to ensure that the most damaging aspects of the administration’s budget are not enacted and that these vital programs will continue to be funded,” he said in the statement.
