Don’t overlook the continued threat of cuts to universities’ indirect research costs
Preview:
Imagine that one evening you go out to a neighborhood restaurant and order a steak dinner. It is delicious, and everything is going well — until the check comes, and you demand that the proprietor knock the price down by a third. Your rationale? You refuse to pay for anything other than the cost of the meat and the labor of the chef and the server. You saw the price on the menu and ordered the steak at that price, but you tell the owner that you don’t think that you should have to cover any of his costs for the restaurant’s rent, electricity, the gas used to cook your steak, the purchase and maintenance of kitchen equipment, the cleaning crew, costs of compliance with local health regulations, or bookkeeping. The owner turns to you and says, candidly, “Sorry, but without all those other things I have to pay for, there’d be no steak dinner.”
Originally published: April 7, 2025
Author: Barbara R. Snyder
Position: President
Institution: Association of American Universities (AAU)
Published by: STAT News