Trump cuts hurt Australian medical research

On Saturday 21 June 2025, The Age newspaper published an article titled ‘A bomb thrown into the middle of science’: Trump cuts hurt Australian medical research

The article discusses the sudden and significant impact of the Trump administration’s decision to cut approximately $400 million in funding across the whole research sector. This move has placed around 2,000 researchers and numerous critical health projects at risk. 

The medical research institute sector is now looking at the impact of the loss of funding. AAMRI CEO Dr Saraid Billiards described the cut as a “bombshell for Australian medical research at a time when international collaboration is more important than ever.” She highlighted the urgent need for stronger domestic support for research to ensure Australia can continue to contribute to global health challenges. Professor Kathryn North, Director of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, said the decision would damage efforts to tackle childhood diseases, rare diseases and cancer, while Professor Brendan Crabb, Director of the Burnet Institute, warned that the funding loss would have ripple effects on research capacity and public health outcomes. 

See the full article for more detail (behind a paywall). 

AAMRI is currently investigating the funding cuts impact on its medical research institutes. 

AAMRI will continue to advocate for stronger domestic funding and policies that support international collaboration, so Australian research can thrive and help tackle global health challenges.