Jay Bhattacharya, left, director of the National Institutes of Health, speaks as President Donald Trump listens during an event in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on May 12, 2025, in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Marion County has lost at least $6.8 million and 29 jobs after the Trump administration slashed research grants from the National Institutes of Health, according to a new project mapping the nationwide impact.

The data collected by a team of researchers from several universities, also projects a future economic loss of $128 million and 554 jobs in Indianapolis.

That’s based on the Trump administration’s proposed cuts in the NIH’s 2026 budget. The federal agency is the world’s largest public funder of medical research.

Local research into aging, cancer and infectious diseases will be most impacted. Indiana University Indianapolis is expected to face major losses, alongside cuts to research at Purdue University, the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University.

To see the full impact of NIH cuts across states and cities, go to scienceimpacts.org.

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at 317-721-7648 or email maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.

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