Penn could lose $80 million from sequestration cuts

Despite a strong lobbying push from universities around the nation, federal funding for science research has been slashed as part of a $1.2 trillion package of budget cuts.

The cuts will come in part from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. As a result, Penn could see a funding reduction of $34-42 million, with NIH funding taking the biggest hit. Cuts to the Perelman School of Medicine could amount to an additional $40 million.

All but 18 percent of the University’s research budget comes from federal agencies.

In addition to research cuts, the White House estimated that the sequester could cause over 3,000 lower-income students in Pennsylvania to lose federal student aid, and cause nearly 2,300 students to lose work-study jobs.

The automatic budget cuts were set up as part of the 2011 Budget Control Act, and were meant to be devastating enough to force lawmakers to find common ground on spending reductions. Sequestration was triggered on March 1 when Congress failed to come to an agreement.

The University has invested significant lobbying efforts over the past several months to convince lawmakers to spare research funding. Penn lobbyists have met with senators and representatives individually, and worked with organizations such as United for Medical Research and the Task Force on American Innovation.

Director of the Office of Government and Community Affairs Dawn Maglicco Deitch said Penn will continue its lobbying efforts to restore research funding.