By Samantha Smith and Jerenie Sands, The Daily Athenaeum
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Research Office funding at WVU will be reduced by $12 million annually, following changes to the National Institutes of Health’s indirect cost recovery, according to April Kaull, executive director of WVU Communications.
The NIH announced plans to reduce indirect cost recovery to a flat 15% rate Friday. The new rate, which went into effect Monday, will affect new and existing research grants, according to Kaull.
“Here at West Virginia University, we project an annual loss of approximately $12 million, which would seriously inhibit the University’s ability to perform research,” Kaull said.
Direct costs cover salaries for researchers, stipends for students and supplies and equipment. Indirect costs cover University expenses, including heat, air, building maintenance, chemical and radiation safety and disposal, library access, IT access, cybersecurity and human and animal welfare support.
The Health Sciences Center Cores, the Shared Research Facilities and High-Performance Computing are also covered by indirect costs.
Kaull said WVU does not profit from indirect costs.
