Dear President Holloway and Senior Vice President Zwick,
We are writing to you after consultation with and at the urging of Principal Investigators of federally funded grants to express our deep concern for the immediate impacts of the unprecedented and wide-ranging “pause” in federal funding on our junior colleagues, our students, the animals used in research efforts, and the long-term safety of the labs and equipment of which our PIs are the custodians. Our concern is especially focused on those of our colleagues who would face a termination of their visas if their positions were ended due to a loss of federal funding.
We appreciate the recent communication from Executive Vice President Gower and Senior Vice President Zwick indicating that the University has contingency plans in place to protect Rutgers’ educational and research missions. We are heartened to see that the administration shares our concerns. We would like to discuss with you the University response in the short term, understanding that it may be necessary to modify this response as a very uncertain situation evolves.
Based on the discussion among Principal Investigators in our union, we have identified the most immediate areas for which bridge funding may be necessary in order to preserve the research capability of the University and to protect junior researchers. We ask, in the short term, that the university ensure continuity of support in the following areas in the event that funding for formally approved federal grants is interrupted or terminated:
- Ensure 9- and 12-month salaries of currently employed researchers. Many of those supported by grants are graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other junior scientists. At the Department of Veteran Affairs, the employment status of medical residents and fellows could be interrupted by the current hiring freeze, making it difficult or impossible to restore. In particular, international scientists throughout the University face the loss of their visas if their employment status changes. While unacceptable in any circumstance, in the current environment, this must be avoided at all cost. We note that there are already reports that some scientists are already facing interruptions in their salary.
- Provide tuition support for graduate students who are currently supported by affected grants.
- Provide the necessary resources to ensure the safety and well-being of animals used in scientific research. In addition to a necessary respect for living beings, the loss of live study subjects can result in the destruction of years of scientific data.
- Provide resources to ensure the physical integrity and safety of experimental equipment that would be lost or damaged due to interruption of services. This physical infrastructure represents a long-term investment in the research and educational capability of Rutgers.
We hope the federal funding “pause” is lifted soon and canceled meetings related to grant review are promptly rescheduled. However, should they continue, we hope that we and our PIs can have a productive discussion with the Rutgers administration to ensure that research continues in areas critical to the health and safety of the people of New Jersey (including topics such as climate change, medical research, gender-affirming care, community health, and other fields to which the new presidential administration has stated ideological opposition, in violation of existing law), and that Rutgers continues to be a world-leading research university capable of attracting and supporting early-career scientists.
Again, we appreciate the support that the Rutgers administration has shown to its researchers, educators, and students during these difficult and unprecedented times. We look forward to discussing this and other issues with you.
Sincerely,
Todd Wolfson, President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT; National President, American Association of University Professors
Dr. Catherine Monteleone, President, AAUP-BHSNJ
Rebecca Givan, General Vice President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT