A 1965 discovery in a Michigan State University laboratory launched a revolution in medicine. Today, the chemotherapy drug cisplatin and related platinum-based compounds save countless lives across a range of cancers, including testicular, ovarian, bladder, breast and skin melanoma.
This breakthrough was not just the result of scientific insight, dogged experimental curiosity and collaboration — it was made possible by a strong, deliberate partnership between research universities and the federal government. Michigan State biophysicist Barnett Rosenberg and colleagues discovered that platinum compounds can stop cellular division and shrink cancerous tumors. The National Cancer Institute, funded by the American people through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supported both MSU’s Rosenberg Laboratory and the clinical trials that led to cisplatin’s success.
I highlight this “eureka!” moment to underscore the power of partnership between research universities and the federal government, which grew from the post-World War II realization of its importance to America’s health, prosperity and national security.
This powerful research ecosystem, which prioritizes discovery and progress, has ensured that America maintains an innovative lead ahead of its rivals. Yet, today, that successful ecosystem is under threat of being dismantled. The Trump administration’s drastic reductions to federal research programs and unprecedented downsizing of key agencies risks unraveling decades of progress in medical breakthroughs, technological advancements and economic growth. While these actions are driven by an effort to reduce federal government spending, there is significant risk in creating a fractured system where crucial research discoveries are abandoned, the United States’ competitive edge in innovation is lost, and economic benefits to communities stemming from new discoveries disappear.
Universities must be accountable for how their federal resources are utilized. We recognize the public’s right to expect efficiency and transparency in how their tax dollars are spent. As president of Michigan State University, I am proud of our responsible stewardship of this critically important funding. But the kind of sweeping transitions witnessed recently do not appear to create a leaner, more effective government.
Universities are “the centers of basic research” and “the wellsprings of knowledge and understanding,” wrote Vannevar Bush, director of the federal Office of Scientific Research and Development, in his seminal 1945 report "Science: The Endless Frontier."
"As long as they are vigorous and healthy and their scientists are free to pursue the truth wherever it may lead, there will be a flow of new scientific knowledge to those who can apply it to practical problems in Government, in industry, or elsewhere.”
Bush’s words were prescient, and for the last 80 years, research universities across the nation like Michigan State have conducted much of the government’s research — work that private enterprise would likely never be able to consider without an assured return on investment.
Now, with the slashing of federal agencies, who knows what life-saving knowledge will go undiscovered and how many life-enhancing innovations will be pushed to the back burner? I’m thinking of a case involving a young girl with a rare genetic disease. Michigan State scientists and their partners quickly developed a treatment, helping this little girl grow her hair back and gain strength to do everything from feeding herself and holding her head up to crawling and even sledding down a hill.
Our important partnerships extend beyond medicine. At MSU, we collaborate with Michigan’s agricultural community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect apple and cherry crops from disease, ensuring a stable food supply. Or consider MSU’s work with the Department of Defense to develop autonomous vehicles and other advanced mobility innovations.
These efforts not only contribute to national security but also drive economic growth and job creation. A recent study showed that every dollar invested in research by the NIH generates $2.56 in new economic activity. In Michigan alone, NIH funding supports nearly 12,000 jobs and more than $2.5 billion in economic activity.
American research universities power the nation’s innovation ecosystem, taking on big challenges to strengthen our nation’s defenses and serve the common good. And we do it better than anyone else in the world, strengthening America’s leadership and competitiveness.
At a time when other nations are expanding research and development, the U.S. should be strengthening its commitment, not dismantling it. We urge policymakers to recognize that government and university partnerships can be accountable, efficient and visionary all at the same time. Our future depends on it. The next cisplatin, technological breakthrough or life-saving discovery is within our reach — if we choose to support it.