New York group urges Gov. Kathy Hochul to start grant program to offset federal science cuts

A coalition of New York medical schools, scientific facilities, health care networks and business groups are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to fill the research gap from federal funding cuts by establishing a grant-writing institute, with an initial $500 million investment.

The Empire Biomedical Research Institute would issue publicly funded grants for scientific research while keeping New York — second only to California for receipt of National Institutes of Health funds — competitive with other states that already have similar funding arms in place, according to a proposal sent to Hochul's office by the Associated Medical Schools of New York.

The association's members include Hofstra University's Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, New York Institute of Technology and Stony Brook University's Renaissance School of Medicine.

A letter by the coalition to Hochul's office dated Dec. 5 about the proposal also includes signatories Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Mount Sinai Health System and Stony Brook Medicine.

New York received $3.5 billion in funding from NIH in 2024, according to the federal agency's website. As 2025 comes to a close, the state has received $3.4 billion this year, the website shows.

Nationwide, the medical schools association notes in its proposal, "federal grant reviews and awards have slowed to approximately 30% of prior year levels." 

President Donald Trump's second administration has cut billions in NIH funding for research and other scientific purposes. In August, a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court opened a path for the federal science research arm to slash hundreds of millions pegged for efforts aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion.

This year, the NIH has issued about 24% fewer R01 grants, its most common research grant, and considered the "gold standard," Jonathan Teyan, president and CEO of the Associated Medical Schools of New York, told Newsday. 

As federal science funding wanes in the United States, Teyan said, "Institutions in Europe and China and now Canada and other countries are investing quite a lot of money to recruit scientists from the U.S. right now."

A state-supported endeavor, the proposal says, would provide the financial resources needed for New York to attract and retain established and burgeoning scientists. 

The institute would also help cover the costs of a decade of study, including research into drugs to combat dementia, cancer and other diseases. Funding would also go toward research into artificial intelligence, as well as new devices and therapies to treat diabetes and heart disease. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which administers the NIH, did not immediately respond to Newsday’s request for comment.

Beyond the initial $500 million investment, the proposal calls for $6 billion in public money over the next decade "to advance New York State’s global leadership in biomedicine."

"We’re certainly not advocating for tax increases to support this," said Teyan, adding that money could come through bonds "as other states have done ... which have been overwhelmingly supported by voters."

Bioscience is "an important economic driver" and a field that employs about 120,000 New Yorkers, according to the coalition's letter to Hochul. Funding research will bolster the economy, as well as offer New York residents access to the latest advancements in health care, according to Teyan.

"There should be a scientific advisory board that would look at the research landscape, but also look at the medical needs of New Yorkers and issue requests for proposals that would respond to those needs," Teyan said of the proposed institute. "We think that any investment by the state ought to benefit all New Yorkers and result in new treatments and cures that they have access to through clinical trials."