Dear UMB Community,

On behalf of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the state of Maryland, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has joined with attorneys general from 21 states to file an emergency petition in seeking a temporary injunction against the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) recently issued guidance regarding indirect costs for research. You can read about it here.

This action, which follows urgent efforts by UMB and the Attorney General's Office over the weekend, demonstrates our collective commitment to safeguarding the critical research conducted at UMB and across the country. Indirect cost recovery is necessary and pays for important expenses used to conduct research such as building maintenance, utilities, IT support, grants administration, animal care, protection for human subjects, safeguarding against unlawful conflicts of interest, compliance with federal regulations, and many other critical functions. We are grateful to Attorney General Brown for his swift action, which recognizes the potential harm the NIH rule could inflict on lifesaving research.

As this legal process unfolds, we will continue to monitor developments and provide updates. Thank you for your dedication to the vital work we do here at UMB.

Sincerely,

Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS

President